#posting as a link because i tried to post the video directly like 8 times and each time it says it can't be processed

[lady-lilly-gray]

👀👀👀

[monarchisms]

so for those unaware, rooster teeth's annual extra life stream this year (2023) will be on november 11th at 10 am central time. the stream is back to being 24 hours long, and the schedule has recently been posted on rt's social media accounts. with this context, this post is going to carry a more somber tone than the usual extra life posts i used to make. this is because of the hospital that rt gives their donation money to: dell children's medical center. most of the links going forward are to articles from news sites i read through to gather and cross-reference any public information i can find to make sure what i'm sharing is accurate. general content warning for transphobia ahead.

in late april and early may, news started coming out that ken paxton, a texas attorney general, announced an investigation to "determine whether it [dell children's] is "unlawfully" providing certain gender-affirming medical care to minors." he made a statement about it on the 5th of may, and allegedly, said investigation was sparked by a video in mid-april shared by far-right activist group project veritas. i'm not linking the video directly because the group has a history of video manipulation and general disinformation throughout its existence, and i'm not a fan of, frankly speaking, spreading their bullshit, but it's linked in the nbc article for further context.

anyways, an alleged employee in that video claimed that patients at the hospital were provided gender-affirming treatment, and started to medically transition around the ages of 8 or 9 years old. dell children's official statement was shared around a week after the project veritas video was published, basically refuting the claim and explicitly stating that the hospital "prohibits surgery and prescribing hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria for children". they also note that they were "conducting a thorough review of this situation." as a result, many patients and their parents "began hearing that appointments with the hospital’s adolescent medicine specialists had been canceled and that their providers no longer worked at the hospital", leaving families to find another health provider in the state or consider looking into out-of-state resources and doctors for a better chance at receiving care. i didn't find a source that specified if those whose were no longer at dell children's chose to quit or were involuntarily fired, but it's still unfortunate either way.

keep in mind that like rooster teeth, dell children's is based in austin, texas, and the state of texas (especially within the last year) has a history of transphobia and general lgbtphobia with laws that have been proposed and/or put into effect. one of those laws that went into effect was senate bill sb 14, which went into effect on september 1st, and outlaws minors (those under 18 years old) from receiving hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and general gender-affirming care from medical professionals, as well as disallowing said professionals from prescribing care or performing surgeries to the patients.

now, the reason i typed all of this in the first place is that as far as i know (please tell me if i'm wrong here), rt hasn't made a public statement about this whole thing, nor has it been stated that they decided to give money to another hospital, or keep everything as is. i saw no one here on tumblr talking about it, and i didn't want to keep quiet myself, so i tried to make this as thorough as possible. i made a post last year noting that you can donate your money to your local hospital or donate through another individual or organization other that rt on the official extra life website. that also applies to this year's event.

whatever you decide to do or not do, always make sure to do your research on reputable, verified organizations. if you're donating your well-earned money somewhere, be confident that it's somewhere you can trust.

[aturnoftheearth]

i wanted to start making amvs but i know literally nothing, are you willing to give me any advice or something like that? i love your videos so much by the way they make me empty in the head

Yeah of course! I knew absolutely nothing 8 months ago and now I'm constantly editing amvs! I'm gonna make this more of a general how-to for anyone else looking to start amv making.

Software:

there are lots of editors out there, but the most common ones i know of are Adobe Premiere and iMovie. Lots of people gain access to them via school or work, but if you're like me and don't have them available for free and can't justify paying for them, there are lots of great free editors! I personally use Lightworks because it's great for beginners and it's what I’m used to now. There's also:

Davinci resolve

Olive

Openshot

VSDC

Each one has different features and layouts, so maybe see which one seems best for you personally and try it out! I tried a couple of different editors before going back to Lightworks and they really do have their own pros and cons.

Clips:

Okay, so this is a bit of a broad topic since there are so many different ways people get clips. Personally, I have two sources: Netflix and this collection of all Destiel scenes without background noise. I know some people don’t have Netflix, but any method of screen-recording will do (and if you need specific help with screen-recording, let me know!). If that doesn’t work for you, you can always look up character/ship scene packs on both Tumblr and YouTube and download them!

Audio:

Now, I’m not sure how other other editors get their songs, but I just use a YouTube to MP3 converter, copy-paste the link of the song I want to use, and download the converted song. It’s quick and easy and is probably a big risk to my laptop, but it’s the only way I know how skdjkskdk.

Extras:

I always add subtitles to my videos now- they make it easier for dialogue to be heard/understood and also lyrics! For example, I do a lot of Lord Huron songs and some of their lyrics are basically incomprehensible unless you look them up, so having them there adds to the amv experience imo.

There's an amv blog, @spnamvs, dedicated to keeping an archive of spn amvs! It's great for checking to see if an amv has been done as well as getting your own amv out there (just tag it #spnamvarchive)!

There are three options for posting videos: directly on Tumblr, on Tumblr with a YouTube link, or an embedded YouTube video on Tumblr. Each one is equally easy to do (though the second one is the most work- more on that below) so it’s really a matter of personal preference.

Some editors have a YouTube account, some don’t, it’s entirely up to you! I didn’t have one for a long time, but I did start to have people asking if my videos were on YouTube, so I decided to make one. If it’s too much in the beginning, don’t worry about it, you can always upload them to YouTube later and edit your amv on here to include the link. 

Tag lists and self-reblogging are also totally optional, but I personally recommend them. This fandom is so big and the timing of Tumblr is so finicky, you could have an amazing amv only get 10 notes because it’s posted at a weird time when people are offline.

Whatever editor you choose, don’t be afraid to mess around with it! Try different filters, different transitions, things like that. If you get frustrated, don’t hesitate to drop it for a bit before coming back. I still have an amv from MAY because I got stuck and didn’t want to ruin the song or the final product, so I dropped it. Inspiration comes and goes for these things so the last thing you want to do is push yourself when you’re uninspired.

This one seems cliche I know but!! Be proud of your videos!! I love my amvs! My sister and I love to go back and watch them and go insane over them! So many people think you have to hate your own work, but you’re allowed to be proud of it! You put time and effort into it and that’s not something to overlook. :)

That’s all I can think of; if you have any other questions or need help troubleshooting, feel free to ask me and I’ll see what I can do!

[eggrestes]

ladrien fic recs!

there are SO MANY amazing ladrien fics i cant possibly cover them all but here are a few!

(all the ratings used are ao3 ratings)

((this is a very long post!))

FLUFF

Of Ivy and Sunlight by cyanise [ T, 1509 words, 1/1 ]

When Adrien takes to wandering the streets of Paris in ungodly hours, Ladybug has no choice but to keep an eye on him. Still, things are bound to get a little out of hand between two overloaded teenagers with a lot of love and not enough self-control. 

a lovely post-chat blanc fic :’) it has a great flow and is just soft and so sweet and it’s just perfect. gosh i cannot really say more other than read it!!! also almost all of their other stuff is also ladrien so do check it out!

This can't be happening by PlaPla [ T,  6,467 words, 1/2 ]

Ladybug is unsure whether accompanying Adrien to a gala as his not-date is the best or worst thing that has ever happened to her. But when their table mates turn out to be none other than her long time friends Alya and Nino and with Adrien acting weirder and weirder she finds herself with bigger worries than an unrequited crush.

a djwifi/ladrien double date? hit me up! i love identity shenanigans, ball dancing, ladrien, and djwifi and this is a perfect mix for me. i know it’s incomplete but it doesn’t end in a cliff-hanger really, the part 2 is just a promise of more so it doesn’t feel incomplete! PlaPla also has a short oneshot of ladrien going for a motorcycle ride.

Falling again by emsylcatac [ M,  4,506 words, 2 Works ]

They had been dancing around each other for a while now, and while fifteen year old Adrien would have been ecstatic at the idea of dating Ladybug in secret, twenty-two year old Adrien knew better. But Ladybug wasn’t making it easy. It was like… she, too, was falling for him. And that surprisingly enough, she didn’t mind.

* * *

Or Adrien trying (and failing) to keep things professional between him and Ladybug when the two of them partner up for a mission. Older AU

things are a little steamy~ here (don’t worry, it’s only implied it’s very mild and closer to a T rating than the M) but it’s a great mature take on their dynamics! emsy has more ladrien one-shots in her collection of one-shots!

i'd love to go on a date with you by sae_what  [ G,  6,480 words, 1/1 ]

Once it had been falsely announced throughout Paris that Adrien and Ladybug are in a relationship, Ladybug pays him a visit to turn him down gently.

Only, she doesn’t. And instead, she has a formal dinner date. With Adrien. At 8 pm. Tonight.

LADYBUG IN A SUIT!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. okay but for real it’s so sweet and also??? they are on a date!!! a rooftop date!! (too man exclamation marks oops)

Always Welcome by  chatonne-rousse [ T, 1,683 words, 1/1 ]

Ladybug knows that Adrien's window is always open for her to swing by and stop in, whether for video games or a chat or, like tonight, for soft kisses and sweet nothings.

He loves these visits. His girlfriend is always welcome. Always. (Especially for kisses.)

Written for Ladrien June, day 8: bluebell eyes.

established relationship, pre-reveal ladrien. there is something very home-y about this fic and it’s all about the comfort and quiet that i adore about it!

Five Times Gabriel Agreste Caught Ladybug in His Son’s Bedroom (and the One Time He Caught Chat Noir) by agrestenoir [ T,  1,923 words, 1/1]

Gabriel Agreste keeps finding Ladybug in his son's bedroom. As a super villain and father, this will not stand.

this crack fic is... honestly so hilarious. it’s all through gabrie-i-am-trying-to-parent-and-failing-a-lot-agreste’s POV so it is so much ridiculous! 

an uncurtain discovery by  Missnoodles [ T, 4,684 words, 1/1 ]

When he returns from school on Wednesday afternoon, Adrien discovers the darkness in his own home. He struggles to come to terms with it. To his utter mortification and delight, Ladybug is nearby to rescue him.

(He does not discover that his father is supervillain. That will happen on a different Wednesday.)

Adrien is being a cat and gets tangled in the curtains on his window and it’s utterly ridiculous. all the bug and the cat tendencies make it funnier and adrien’s inner monologue is just a cherry on top!

secret valentine by a_miiraculer [ T,  12,245 words, 1/1 ]

this is the moment that we will come alive brace yourself for love sweet love, secret love

If Adrien had known that getting himself stuck in a tree would end like this, he would've gotten himself stuck sooner.

A drabble series.

i just,,,, don’t have words for how much i love it! it’s ridiculous, it’s cute, it’s funny, it’s whole-some and just ladrien. the writer also has a M rated multi-chapter ladrien kissing (no the M is very much real here) and a heroic adrien and ladybug one-shot too! 

Those Benevolent Stars by peachcitt [ G,  23,696 words, 3/3 ]

“Will you come back?”

She looked up at the deep blue sky, as if she could somehow find the answer there. “I shouldn’t,” she said, shaking her head and looking back at him. But the stars were still there, caught in her eyes, and Adrien persisted.

“But will you?”

or

adrien meets his soulmate, a thief who calls herself ladybug. he falls for her, but she seems determined to maintain a space between them.

oh my god this au.... just no words!! it’s poetry and it’s tender and it’s about the yearning and just!!! perfect :’). Her current ongoing ladrien june fic is also akin to this (and the fic i linked before it) so do check it out too! (literally check out all of their works it’s so beautiful)

Flowers on the Window Sill by LNC [ G,  2,144 words, 1/1 ]

The first time Ladybug saw him, really saw him, the universe stopped.

this fic feels like poetry and it’s so lovely. LNC is always short and direct but it always hits right in the feels while also being hilarious. Her  other ladrien works are just as good and i highly recommend going through them because it fulfills all of the ladrien needs (along with Reiaji)

whatever a sun will always sing is you by komorebirei [ T,  32,980 words, 37/37 ]

“I didn't think you'd actually... do anything," Adrien admitted, cheeks prickling with warmth. "I-I mean, I never expected... I didn't know you watched my interviews.” That definitely wasn’t how he'd imagined confessing to Ladybug.

“Of course I do!” Ladybug squeaked. “Uhh, that is…” She looked down at her hands, nervously turning her yo-yo over, over and over. “Maybe you’re not the only one with a crush.”

(After an unexpected confession, Ladybug and Adrien start dating in secret. A progressive character- and relationship-study quilted from drabbles, with the intention of digging treasure out of the cove that is Ladrien. Written using kashimalin-fanfiction's kiss writing prompts from Tumblr.)

it does such an excellent job at exploring this dynamic along with the characters. it’s such a sweet fic, each chapter short and fun!

ANGST

whose woods these are (I think I know.) by  Reiaji [ T,  105,000 words, 25/25 ]

Four years after his future turns to cinders, Adrien is a servant in the house he was meant to inherit. Disowned by his father and abused by his stepmother, his days are filled with drudgery until he meets a masked huntress in the forest behind his father's chateau.

As his friendship with Ladybug turns to first love, he dreams of a future spent at her side.

Then, on the eve of the Princess's masquerade, he meets his guardian—and is granted a wish.

[Ladrien Cinderella AU]

Warnings: Child abuse, Graphic depiction of violence

this is absolutely gorgeous. it has so many troupes and so many amazing character arc and great build up and everything just flows so well. it left me in awe for weeks and i just. want to experience reading it for the first time again. look at this gorgeous art inspired by this! {and you have to read  leonard bernstein too because LETTERS and LADRIEN and YEARNING}

i would do it again (oh, a thousand times) by bugabisous [ T, 2,266 words, 1/1 ]

Knowing you can bring someone back doesn’t mean you’re free of the pain of seeing them disappear before your eyes. He can’t imagine he’ll be able to look at her directly without replaying every horrifying moment when he felt her slip away in a puff of smoke.

When it happens once again, he already knows he’ll be trying again. He just can’t give up.

it expands on adrien’s feelings in the episode desperada (my beloved <3) and it is just ouch. such great angst, such great potential. the kind of tragedy that it offers is unusual for ml (it gets only rivaled by chat blanc tbh). to rival this angst bugabisous also has a fluffy one-shot :)

when the world gets too heavy (put it on my back) by Taliax [ T, 4,720 words, 1/1 ]

Chat Noir isn't allowed to cry over his father. But even when he's just Adrien, Ladybug won't abandon him.

Hawkmoth reveal hurt/comfort + Ladrien

the plagg and adrien bond written is just perfect, and oh this hits right in the feels :’) it hurts all in the right way. tali also has so many other ladrien works in all genres too

By Your Side by omniousunflower [ T, 4,361 words, 1/1 ]

(Angry and alone, Adrien waits on top of the Eiffel Tower for his lady.)

“So, how did my kitty get stranded up here?” Ladybug asks.

Groaning, Adrien pulls his knees toward his chest and presses his face against them. “Because he’s stupid and impulsive.”

“Chasing pigeons, then?”

“No.” Shame burns in Adrien’s veins, white-hot now that Ladybug is here to witness his stupidity. “I threw my Miraculous, and Plagg wouldn’t get it for me.”

post-hawkmoth defeat, and adrien is not doing well at all. i am cheating because it is post reveal, pre relationship but it’s still ladrien. this fic is a roller coater of emotions, starting from a slightly crack scenario to a cute, awkward, hopeful ending.  More Than You Know is another of sunny’s angsty ladrien work!

Breaking The Rules (AKA The Ladrien Fistfight) by ThisKwamiNeeds_aNap [ T, 8,714 words, 1/1 ]

Marinette may or may not be dying, but she’s still going to do her best to fix every single problem in the world. She’s not expecting Adrien to be the one who tries to stop her. (Takes place immediately after Kwami Buster)

Warnings: panic attack, broken bones, PTSD. please read the tags!

*slaps this fic* this fic can fit in so much angst. it just?? left me in PAIN oof. it says ‘ladrien fistfight’ on the lid but nooo there is marinette is just having a freak out and it’s all so much??!! and it’s not just marinette there is adrien too and chloe and alya and- wow it’s amazing. love it so much it fills up my angst needs :’)

so that’s it for now! my personal commentary isn’t impressive nor does it do justice to the fic but i still hope you read a few of these!! happy reading!!

[if-music-be-the-food-of-love]

Happy Birthday

Robbe IJzermans!!

“I Want it All” ch. 8 Sneak Peek: Robbe’s Birthday

Summary: Sander goes all out for Robbe’s birthday. So much fluff. All fluff. Amelia is cute. Still rated T. This takes place about halfway through the chapter.

**Disclaimer: This is a rough draft. Please forgive my typos and inconsistencies. As always, it’s long (7k). Enjoy!

Link to fic on Ao3. This is not posted there. Preview below only:

Amelia - almost 12 months

Sander

 “Bye, Laurence,” Sander said before hanging up the video call and closing his laptop. He stood, and reaching his arms overhead, stretched side to side before arching his back and twisting a few times. As he rolled his shoulders, he heard giggling coming from the kitchen, and a slow smile spread across his face. 

Curious, he left their bedroom and followed the sound to the kitchen, where he found Amelia in her high chair, cackling and clapping her hands as Robbe ‘found’ Cheerios in her ears. He’d show her his empty hands and then reach for one of her ears where he’d miraculously ‘find’ one and give it to her to eat. Her eyes grew wide every time he brought the Cheerio in front of her, sheer adoration and amazement all over her face. She’d squeal as she reached for the cereal and laugh and clap her hands as she popped it into her mouth.

After four more Cheerios received the same treatment, Sander strode forward casually, hands in his pockets, and said, “Still don’t think that’s the best way to impress the girls.” He ruffled Amelia’s hair and gazed down at Robbe, a teasing smile on his lips. “Glad to know those magic tricks paid off. Longest investment I ever made.” He then ruffled Robbe’s hair, and muttered, “Dork.”

Robbe snorted in response and blushed prettily as he rolled his eyes up at Sander. “It’s your fault. You can only blame yourself. And,” he poked Amelia’s nose and made another Cheerio appear out of it, eliciting more loud giggles, “Amelia is clearly impressed. Aren’t you, sweet girl?” He asked, speaking directly to her, his voice dropping into a goofy drawl. “You think I’m amazing, don’t you? Forget what your silly daddy thinks. He’s just jealous.”

Sander bit the inside of his cheek and pursed his lips, his head shaking side to side. “If I’m jealous of you,” he finally said, “I guarantee it’s not about the magic tricks.” He winked at Robbe, pursing his lips into an air kiss, and then swooped down to kiss the top of Amelia’s head. 

“How’s Laurence?” Robbe asked, refocusing his gaze on Amelia and continuing her magical meal.

Sander shrugged, stepping up behind him. He waved his hands forward a few times, and understanding him immediately, Robbe scooted to the edge of his chair. Sliding in behind him and then pulling Robbe back into his chest, arms still wrapped around his middle, he answered, “Tired. They’re afraid the baby might have colic, but it’s a little too soon to know.” Robbe shivered beneath him at the thought. “He looks like a zombie. Did we ever look that bad?” He rested his chin on Robbe’s shoulder.

Robbe chuckled lightly and turned his head to kiss his cheek. “Yes, we did. At one point, you looked like death, and I was seriously worried. Remember? I had to stage an intervention. I’m sure I didn’t look much better. Those first few weeks...just thinking about them…it was rough.” Robbe shuddered again, and Sander gave him another squeeze.

He kissed the space between Robbe’s shoulder blades and then rested his cheek on his shoulder, lips lightly touching his neck. He let his eyes close, and a companionable silence descended between them as Robbe continued to feed Amelia her snack while Sander rested. 

Several minutes later, Robbe’s fingers touched his hands, pulling him out of his light doze, and he said, his voice coming across gravelly because Sander’s ear pressed into his shoulder, “I’ve been thinking.”

“Mmhmm,” Sander responded, his eyes still closed.

“Amelia’s birthday is three days after mine, and I know we already have some big plans. You know, all the chaos and people and food. It’s a lot to plan and manage. Maybe this year we don’t do anything for my birthday. Just stay home, nothing special. Its--”

“No,” Sander cut him off, snuggling in a little more. “Absolutely not.”

As if not hearing him, he continued, “Maybe in the future we could just do a combined birthday or something.”

“No. No. No,” he hesitated for a moment and then added, “No. C’mon, Robbe, I’ve been making a fuss about your birthday for almost two decades. You really think I’m going to stop now just because our daughter’s birthday is so close? Please.” He let out an exasperated “pfft” into Robbe’s neck.

“But, it just makes sense, especially this year,” Robbe tried. “We should focus on her. It’s her first birthday. It’s a big deal.”

Sander sat up, his voice turning serious. “And so is your birthday. The day you were born is a big deal to me. You are the most important person in my life, and I want to celebrate the fact that you exist. Would you deny me that?”

Robbe turned to look at him, and Sander thrust his lower lip out into an exaggerated pout. Robbe shook his head in response, but the corners of his mouth twitched. “That’s kind of sappy, San.”

He dropped his forehead onto Robbe’s temple and said, “You make me sappy. Not my fault.”

“Hmmm,” Robbe responded noncommittally. A second later, he surprised Sander with an elbow to the stomach, saying, “And honestly, not fair. You know I’d never deny you anything. Turning it on me so that I’m doing it for you? Pathetic.”

Sander grinned and hugged him closer. Bringing his lips to Robbe’s ear, he whispered, “Yet effective.”

“Ugh,” Robbe groaned, but he leaned back into Sander, clearly giving in already. 

“Anyway,” Sander continued in a normal voice, “This is the first birthday where I can show you exactly how much I love you.  I’m going all out, baby! I already have everything planned, and Zoë offered to watch Amelia before I even asked. So...you’re stuck.”

Robbe moved like he was going to protest one more time, but they were interrupted by a stream of babble from Amelia. She had about a dozen Cheerios on the tray in front of her, but she kept clutching at her ears and then looking disappointedly at her hands. Each time they came up empty, she chattered at them as if giving them a pep talk before trying again.

“Oh no!” Sander guffawed. “What have you done?”

Unable to control himself, Robbe’s body shook with laughter. “I...I...well...oops.”

“Oops is right. Let’s hope she doesn’t try to pull Cheerios from anywhere else.”

“Sander!” He elbowed him in the stomach again, but they both laughed. They laughed so hard Amelia finally gave up looking for Cheerios and stared at them in confusion, completely at a loss for why they were giggling so much.

 Robbe

 Robbe’s birthday dawned wet and cloudy, but the grey atmosphere did nothing to dampen Sander’s spirits. He woke up early to make Robbe a ‘real’ breakfast before work and shoved him out of the door with a dozen kisses and a promise to come directly home.

When Robbe arrived back at the flat, he found Sander’s backpack stationed by the door and Zoë’s shoes resting next to Amelia’s. He gave the backpack a second curious glance and then followed the sound of voices to the kitchen.

“Dada!” Amelia’s voice called, and Robbe immediately redirected from looking for Sander to searching for Amelia. She stood next to the couch, holding on with one hand, her chubby legs steady beneath her. 

“Hey, princess,” he said, squatting down a few feet away from her. She took confident steps toward him, hand sliding along the couch in support, and then in her excitement at being near him, she let go of the couch and half toddled, half fell forward into his arms. 

He held her for a moment, unmoving; then his jaw dropped, and he looked up, seeking Sander’s eyes. When he found them, shining and surprised, he asked, “Did you see that? Did it count? Do you think it counted? Did she walk?”

“I saw at least two actual steps before she fell forward,” Zoë said helpfully.

“I think I saw three,” Sander agreed. “I think it counts.” 

Robbe squealed, lifting Amelia into the air as he stood, and swung her around. “You did it!” he shouted over and over again. He hugged her to his chest and showered her in kisses.

Then it was Sander’s turn. He hugged them both, liberally peppering them with kisses as he said, “And you did it on your daddy’s birthday! What a sweet girl! Happy Birthday!” He gave Robbe a loud smack on the lips.

“B-tday.” Amelia mimicked, clapping her hands, and they both erupted into even more praise.

“Best birthday present ever,” Robbe said, giving her cheek a final kiss before putting her back down to play.

“I dunno about that. Til now, maybe, but I have plans to top it. Just wait,” Sander said, bumping his shoulder.

“Oh really?” He wrapped his hands around Sander’s waist and looked up into his face, eyes teasing. “You really think you can top my daughter’s first steps as a present?”

“Definitely,” Sander said confidently, his mouth spreading into a broad grin.

Sander’s confidence gave Robbe a moment of pause. What could he possibly have planned that he was sure would top this? He was even more curious about the bag by the door.

 When they reached the sidewalk outside, Amelia already being happily spoiled by Zoë inside, Sander took Robbe’s hand, and they turned towards the bike rack. 

“So,” he said, “We have a few options. We can’t head to the main event until 20:30, and then we’re having dinner afterward. So between now and then we can do whatever you want.”

“Wait, what? The main event? Wouldn’t dinner be the main event?”

Sander smirked down at him, saying smugly, “Nope. You’ll see. So--” He clapped his hands together, rubbing them quickly while lifting his eyebrows playfully at Robbe. “What should we do now? I’m all yours.” He opened his arms and turned to walk backwards in front of him. 

Grinning at him, Robbe said, “Oh, I’m well aware.” He then gave him a light shove and took his hand again to pull him alongside. “I thought you had it all planned. Now you’re making me decide. Rather unfair, don’t you think?”

Sander snorted, dropping his head forward. “Ro-obbe, this is part of the plan. You get to decide how we kill time together. Just us.” He looked up, his hand reaching out to caress Robbe’s long hair. “No babies. No friends. No responsibilities.” His fingers trailed down Robbe’s cheek. “Just us.”

Robbe’s breath caught, and when he met Sander’s eyes, he could clearly see how pleased he was with himself. Robbe rolled his eyes at him, bumping his shoulder with his forehead as he mumbled, “You can’t seduce me in the street, you know.” 

Sander’s teasing voice lilted, “But I can make you blush.”

Robbe groaned, but when he lifted his head a soft, dreamy smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Sander beamed back at him and kissed his forehead. He then tucked Robbe under his arm and led him to the bike rack. They unlocked their bikes and set off, heading in the general direction of the Schedlt.

In the end they decided to just walk along the riverfront, lingering anywhere that struck their fancy. Sander took about a hundred pictures of Robbe as they went, much to his consternation, which eventually led to him running away and them chasing one another around. Teasingly, Robbe would let him catch him, or he’d tackle Sander out of nowhere; but after a few kisses, he’d slip out of his grasp and dart away again. 

At one point Robbe leaped at him from behind a tree, wrapping his legs around his waist, and it surprised Sander so much his legs buckled; and they tumbled to the grass. Robbe rolled to his stomach and kissed Sander’s cheeks and forehead apologetically while his hand snuck into his pocket and stole his phone. When he pulled it out, he snapped three photos of his shocked face in quick succession and then leapt to his feet and ran down the walkway. Sander shouted, “You little shit,” behind him, and rose to his feet more slowly. He took off after Robbe, laughing and glaring simultaneously. Robbe turned around, jogging backwards, and pointed the phone at him again, zooming in on his face. 

“Not as much fun on the other side of the camera, is it?” he called.

“Robin, you ass!” he growled back.

Robbe stopped abruptly, and raising both eyebrows as he cocked his head, he pouted, “But you loooove me.”

Sander slowed to a walk, approaching him with outstretched hands. Slightly out of breath, he huffed, “Yes, I love you, idiot.”

Robbe giggled in response, lifted the phone up, and snapped several more photos of Sander’s exasperated face before racing off in a new direction, taking photos randomly as he went. He chuckled to himself thinking about all the pictures Sander would have to sort through and delete. 

As he darted around the next tree, he took pity on Sander and turned around to allow him to catch him. Sander slammed into him, and Robbe wrapped his arms around his middle, burying his face into his chest. Sander burrowed his nose into Robbe’s hair and murmured, “You gonna give me my phone back yet? I do actually want to document some of tonight for posterity’s sake.”

Robbe kissed his chest and then lifted his face to nuzzle into his neck. “Only if you promise to be in more of the pictures. No more random ones of just me. I want us. Together.”

“Fine,” he said, smiling into Robbe’s hair.

“Excellent.” Robbe lifted the phone, flipping the camera, and took several selfies as they hugged and kissed against the tree. “Better,” he said a few minutes later, finally handing the phone back to Sander.

Exhausted, they strolled back towards the path and collapsed onto a bench facing the river. Sander rested his arm on the bench behind Robbe, as they leaned into one another, watching the sun begin to set over the city, the orange rays fighting through the remaining clouds. Several minutes later, interrupting the calm that had settled over them, Sander said, “We’re going to have to go soon.” Robbe made a quiet, guttural sound in his throat, and Sander chuckled, knocking his knee into Robbe’s. “I promise. You want to go. You’re going to love it.”

“More than Amelia’s first steps?”

“Yes,” he said confidently. Then he paused, adding, “Maybe. Probably. I mean, they’re such different things you can’t really compare them, but I guarantee you, you’ll like this. So,” he nudged Robbe’s foot with his own, “We should go get our bikes.”

Robbe begrudgingly agreed and allowed Sander to pull him to his feet. They walked briskly back to their bikes, and Robbe followed Sander, now almost overflowing with curiosity. Where on earth was Sander taking him?

As they ascended the elevator in the Sint-Annatunnel, Sander lifted an eyebrow at Robbe, saying one word: “Race?”

Robbe grinned back and said, “You’re on.”

As soon as the doors opened, Robbe stood and put his full weight on his pedals, propelling himself forward. He and Sander raced neck and neck, occasionally avoiding pedestrians and other cyclists. About halfway through the tunnel, their eyes met, and without saying a word, they slowed to a more reasonable pace.

Sander pulled out his phone and aimed it at Robbe. Shaking his head, Robbe admonished, “Selfie mode, baby. Selfie mode.”

Sander rolled his eyes but acquiesced, flipping the camera and taking several photos of the both of them as they neared the exit.

 When they arrived at their destination, Robbe’s eyes grew wide, and he asked, “The pool?”

“Yeah, the pool. Our pool.”

“Our pool,” Robbe repeated under his breath as he locked his bike. Knowing their destination wasn’t helping. He was as confused and curious as ever.

Sander shrugged on the backpack, and turning to Robbe, said, “Okay. So I need to go get the key. There’s something I want you to see around the corner, so just stay here til I come back.” 

“Okay,” he answered. As he waited, he began to fidget nervously, alternately pacing and bouncing on his toes. What were they doing here? What mad scheme had Sander come up with for his birthday?

About two minutes later and just after Robbe had to clasp his hands in front of him to keep them from shaking with nervous energy, Sander returned, jangling a set of keys from pinched fingers.

“Alright,” he said, grinning, “We’re good to go. The pool’s ours for the next hour.”

“It is? Just us?”

“Yep,” Sander confirmed, wrapping his arm around Robbe’s neck and pulling him in. “I gave our old coach a call, and he was willing to do me a favor as long as I promised that we’d continue coming for lap swim. There might have been something about volunteering at the next swim meet as well, but I’ll deal with that when I get the email.”

“Wow. Okay,” Robbe said, still confused. “Now what?”

Sander kissed his temple and said, “Don’t worry, Robin. I’ve got it all covered. Now,” he swept his arm forward in an arc, “I wanna show you something. Let’s go.”

Sander steered him to the end of the building and around the corner. About halfway down the alley, he stopped and said, “Pull out your phone and turn on the flashlight.” Robbe did as he said, facing the light towards the ground. “Okay,” he continued, “Now point it over here.”

It wasn’t full dark yet, but since it was overcast, the sky was darker than usual. Robbe lifted the light, directing it to where Sander indicated, and he gasped. 

On the wall, in bright oranges, reds, browns, and yellows, was an enormous robin, its wings outstretched as if landing on a branch, its feathers ruffled around the neck, its brown eyes fierce and piercing. As Robbe took it in, his eyes darting from one detail to the next, Sander came up behind him and wrapped both arms over his shoulders, pulling him into his chest. 

“Before you worry,” he whispered, “I had permission.”

“This is like your tattoo,” Robbe finally managed. 

“Yes and no. They are similar,” Sander kissed Robbe’s temple, “But if you look closely, you’ll see that this one is quite a bit more aggressive. The one on my hip...that one is softer, sweeter, a more cuddly Robbe--the one I see at home. The one I’ve known and loved almost my whole life. This one is a bit more badass, more intense--the focused scientist the world gets to see.”

Robbe swallowed, unable to form words, and continued to stare at the robin, his robin. Sander was right. Apart from being a robin with outstretched wings, they were completely different. The robin on Sander’s hip was etched permanently in his memory. He’d spent hours studying it, tracing it, and kissing it. It was softer, the edges less harsh, the expression less intense. He wasn’t entirely sure he deserved to be labeled a badass scientist, but he could definitely see the differences in the two birds.

Kissing his ear, Sander continued, “And anyway, my tattoo is special, so much more special.”

Robbe turned a questioning face up at him, still unable to speak, and Sander breathed a quiet laugh, answering his unspoken question, “Because it’s our secret. It’s just for us. The world can see this one, the awesome, amazing, intelligent chemical engineer who gets published in fancy journals. The other one is ours.”

Finally finding his voice, he whispered, “How? Why?”

Sander laughed in earnest, his whole body shaking, taking Robbe along with it. “Really, Robin? Do I ever need a reason to draw you?”

Robbe ducked his head, pressing a shy smile into Sander’s bicep.

“Okay, but really. I’d been wracking my brain, trying to think of what I could do for your birthday, and I had this idea. I knew this wall was here because we used to run around back here. I asked the pool owner if it was alright, and she said yes. What I wanted to do was cover this entire wall with your face. You know, because that’s how much I love you.”

Robbe’s stomach fluttered suddenly, and he placed his hands on top of Sander’s, briefly kissing the soulmark on his left wrist.

“But,” Sander continued, “I didn’t think you’d appreciate your actual face on display, possibly for years, so I sprayed the next best thing, your namesake. And voila! You got a three meter high Robin. Happy Birthday!”

Overcome with emotion, Robbe again couldn’t respond with words, so he spun in Sander’s embrace, sliding his hands up to his face. The light was dim, but he knew Sander could see him well enough; so he gazed directly into his eyes and put all of his feelings, his love, his complete devotion to and adoration of Sander into his look, trying to express how he felt about the gift without words--that he loved it, thought it was amazing, and was honored to be the subject of Sander’s skill.

Slowly, Robbe lifted up onto his toes and kissed him softly, worshipping his lips with lingering kisses and caressing his skin with light fingers, as if he were the most precious treasure that deserved care and attention and love. 

Sander had always been great with words, but he truly expressed himself best in his art. Such a large, public piece of art was a declaration of love, as or possibly more meaningful than his words. He poured his heart and soul into his work, but this was a full exposure. There was no way Robbe, or anyone who knew the backstory, could deny the depth of Sander’s feelings, and knowing that until two months ago, he could not have done this, couldn’t have shared his love at all, let alone this loudly, filled Robbe with love and longing. Sander had waited so long to love him openly, and it was almost exploding out of him uncontrollably. It had exploded onto this wall, in vibrant colors, and Robbe could only imagine where it would surge out next. 

His wonderful, beautiful, talented Sander was the most loving person in the world, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to finally have him, all of him. The feeling was overwhelming, and he started to deepen the kiss, pulling Sander closer and trying to plaster himself to his chest.

Sander smiled beneath him and leaned back a little. “I’m so glad you like it, and while I’d love to do this all night, we have to be out of the pool by 21:30. So…”

Robbe lifted up on his toes one last time, leaning forward to peck his lips. “Fine,” he sighed, “There better be more kisses coming, though.”

Smirking cheekily, Sander gave Robbe another quick kiss and said, “I promise. You will get more kisses.”

“Good. Lead the way, then.”

 The purpose of the backpack became clear the second they entered the pool’s changing rooms. Sander had packed their towels and swimsuits. They changed quickly, and then, leaving their things behind, strode out into the large, echoing chamber.

Sander lifted an eyebrow and, repeating himself from before, said, “Race?”

Robbe nodded. “Race.”

They made their way to the blocks. “Fifty or one hundred meters?” Sander asked.

With a wicked gleam in his eye, Robbe answered, “One hundred. Butterfly.”

Sander groaned, and Robbe grinned evilly. He knew exactly how much Sander hated the butterfly.

“Fifty?” Sander hedged.

“Fine. Fifty. But then we do one hundred free. Deal?”

“It’s your birthday,” he said, stepping onto the block.

“Yes,” he agreed, smugly, “Yes it is.” He stepped onto the adjacent block.

They took a few seconds to set their hands and feet, and then Sander began the countdown. “On go, three, two, one, go!”

They dove into the pool, and Robbe almost immediately regretted choosing butterfly, as neither of them had goggles. Valiantly, he struggled on, kicking hard and sweeping his arms wide, opening an I when he could. Still, it was no contest. Even without proper equipment, he was back at the start while Sander had over half a length to go.

He swam over to the lane divider, and crossed his arms over the blue plastic, waiting for Sander. Once he touched the wall, he turned to face Robbe, sputtering, “I hate you.”

Robbe reached his toe out, poking him in the side, and said, “No, you love me. That’s why we’re here.” He tickled him with his toes, making Sander squirm back. He giggled proudly, and snarked, “You ready for the next one, or does the old man need a moment?”

“Old man?” Sander sputtered again, spraying water everywhere. “You’re the one who’s actually older today, and twenty six is by no means old.”

“Well,” Robbe said, reaching out again with his foot, “I’m only turning twenty four, so...math. It never lies. You’re old.” He extended his toes to poke Sander again, but this time Sander grabbed his ankle and pulled him under and toward him. 

He came up sputtering and spitting, wiping water out of his eyes. Sander gave his chest a slight shove and backed him up into the side of the pool, placing one hand on either side. “So,” Sander teased, his eyes heated, “What you’re saying is that you like older men.”

Robbe wrapped his legs around his waist, hands braced on his shoulders, and said, “I love you. I like whatever you are. So I guess I like older men.”

Sander rolled his eyes. “Of all the things I am, you went for old. Thanks.”

“Sander?”

“Yes.”

“Shut up.” And Robbe curled his arms around his neck, running his fingers up into his hair, and kissed him. The kiss was less successful this time because neither of them could stop smiling. Finally, Robbe mumbled into Sander’s lips, “Okay. You’ve had a long enough break. Let’s go.”

Together they lifted themselves out of the pool and climbed onto the blocks. Sander counted down again, and they dove into the water. Freestyle was Sander’s stroke, so it didn’t matter how long they raced. He’d win. Every time. Robbe didn’t really care. He was just happy to be spending some carefree hours with Sander on his birthday.

As expected, Sander won, finishing several lengths ahead of Robbe. “Now who’s old?” he asked, as Robbe touched the wall.

“Still you,” and Robbe splashed him with an avalanche of water.

They spent the next twenty minutes fooling around in the lap pool. As with everything they did, there was a mixture of teasing, bickering, wrestling, and kissing. With the added element of water, there was also a considerable amount of splashing.

At one point Robbe had to stop Sander from tackling him because he’d splashed water up his nose. Immediately redirecting his momentum, Sander scooped him up in his arms and kissed his nose while Robbe recovered. 

When he finally felt better, he snaked his arms around Sander’s neck and pulled him into a soggy kiss, Sander still cuddling him to his chest.

Robbe marveled at how different things were between them now and yet how familiar the whole evening felt. They’d spent years training and messing around in this pool, playing together, racing, competing, acting foolish--much as they were now. The pool had been their safe place, their neutral ground. Since they went to different schools, having somewhere they both felt at ease had been important, and somehow they’d begun to associate one another with water. Now, even as adults, it was where they came together, meeting up after work to trade out Amelia and exercise. 

The main difference was the kissing. When they were kids, it had been about fun. Now, it was still fun, just in more ways, ways they could never have imagined back then. And honestly, the kissing was nice, better than nice. Kissing Sander felt like a miracle, something he craved like an addict. After being denied for so long, it felt wonderfully luxurious and overwhelming and special, like his body came alive and every nerve ending was ramped up, feeling each sensation that little bit more intensely. He was so lucky, so damn lucky they’d figured everything out. It almost made him cry, but he focused on Sander’s lips, slick with chlorinated water, and his own hands, as they ran over the muscles on Sander’s back and shoulders. 

Robbe kicked out his legs, freeing them from Sander’s grip, and wrapped them around Sander’s waist again, giving himself a better angle to kiss and caress his soft, golden skin.

Sander, however, had a different plan. As Robbe aimed a kiss at his neck, he pulled away, panting as he disentangled Robbe’s arms and legs from his body. “Wait. Wait, Romeo.”

“What?” Robbe whined, his lip jutting out petulantly.

Sander laughed at him and cupped his face. “I told you. I have the whole evening planned.” He jerked his head over to the diving pool. “We have a date with my old nemesis.” He jokingly glared at the diving platform.

“We do?” At Sander’s nod, he shrugged and said, “Alright.”

They swam to the edge and crawled out, holding hands as they strode to the deeper pool. “Any chance,” Sander hesitated, bumping Robbe’s shoulder, “That I could convince you to...uh…” He snapped the waistband of Robbe’s swim trunks. “Remove these?”

Robbe turned to him, aghast, whispering furiously, “What? No, there are cameras! There have to be cameras here. No way, San. No way!”

Clearly disappointed, Sander frowned but nodded and began chewing on the inside of his cheek. His eyes searched the cavernous room, and he looked thoughtful. As if coming to some decision, one that pleased him, a slow grin spread across his face--an obvious warning that Robbe probably should heed but was willing to ignore--and clutched Robbe’s hand tighter, pulling him toward the ladder.

Robbe ascended first, and Sander gave his ass a light slap before he followed, making Robbe smile. Robbe reached the top and moved aside so that Sander could climb up behind. Sander’s fear of heights hadn’t followed him into adolescence, so venturing up here today wasn’t an issue for him. Robbe was sure he was doing it more for nostalgic reasons than anything else. 

As if he could read Robbe’s mind, Sander said, “Remember when you punched that kid for me.” He pointed to the space in front of the bleachers. “It was over there.”

Robbe nodded, wrapping his arm around Sander’s waist. 

“You were my hero, you know,” Sander said quietly, earnestly. “I was in such awe of you. This little tiny thing, dripping wet, hauling ass out of the pool to deck that asshole, someone who’d been tormenting you for months. That you, the kindest, most caring person I know, would defend me like that. It was...you were magnificent, and I loved you so much for it. That might have technically been when I fell in love with you, but since I was ten at the time, I definitely didn’t realize it.”

“Hmpf,” Robbe grunted. “He deserved it. He could have killed you. Even thinking about it now makes me--” His body shook, and he growled. 

“I know, baby. I know.” He hugged him tighter. “It’s fine. We’re fine. And anyway, let’s enjoy ourselves. We’ve never been allowed to do this.” He spread his arms out, indicating the platform. 

“What? You mean be up here together?”

“Yeah. We definitely need to take advantage because you know they’ll never let us do it again.”

“True,” Robbe agreed. Then he had a thought, and he turned an excited, crooked grin at Sander. “Amelia’s going to jump off this thing one day.”

Sander’s jaw dropped, his eyes going wide as an expression of sheer panic came over him. He shook his head dumbly, finally saying, “No. Nope. No. I can’t handle that.” He looked over the edge, shivered, and said, “No,” one last time. 

“C’mon, San. It’s not like it’ll be next week, but yeah, it’s gonna happen. Our girl is a daredevil. We’re doomed.”

“I know,” Sander said, frowning slightly. “We are so doomed.”

Robbe kissed his shoulder and bumped him with his hip. “Stop worrying, and let’s jump off this thing.”

Sander stepped aside, still holding Robbe’s hand, and doing the one thing they were never allowed to do at the pool as kids, they took three steps forward and jumped into the water together. 

Robbe hit the surface with a splash and plunged underwater. Somewhere along the way, he had lost Sander’s hand, so he used both arms to swim to the surface. Taking a deep breath, he noticed that Sander hadn’t surfaced yet. He searched around, looking for a dark shape. A few moments later, Robbe saw Sander rising beneath him. His body almost grazed Robbe’s as he broke the surface, appearing directly in front of him. Their eyes met, and immediately Robbe was suspicious. There was a playful, teasing glint in Sander’s eyes, a smug, self-satisfied glimmer that alerted Robbe to mischief. The question was what.

Before Robbe could ask, Sander blurted out, water spraying into Robbe’s face, “You know, I think I would have jumped off the platform sooner if you’d been allowed to go with me. That was a stupid rule. I’m glad we’re breaking it now.”

Robbe smooshed his hand into Sander’s face but smiled in agreement. “You’re probably right, but you eventually did it. On your own. And that’s all that really matters.” His fingers traced the shell of Sander’s ear before returning to the water to help him stay afloat. “I was so proud of you. I almost went hoarse cheering. You were amazing, baby.”

Robbe glided forward, reaching out to pull him into a kiss, and then stopped abruptly. Wait. Was Sander-- He slid his hand down Sander’s chest, following the curve of his ribcage down to his hip, and--

Nothing.

No swim shorts.

Robbe’s hand was now on Sander’s bare ass. He lifted his eyes to Sander’s and found that playful, pleased look again. He winked. “Enjoying yourself, IJzermans?” 

“Sander, what the hell?” He pulled back, his arms and legs treading water madly. His eyes darted around, searching for Sander’s shorts on the bottom of the pool.

Sander began swimming in a slow circle around Robbe, leaning to the side. “You were worried about the cameras. Well--” he grinned, “The cameras can’t see underwater, so we’re safe.”

“I--err..umm...San, I don’t know,” Robbe stuttered.

“Don’t worry, baby. I have a plan. We’ll be able to retrieve them before we leave.” His eyes grew soft, and his lips pouted. “Please, baby, indulge me.”

Robbe knew he’d lost the second Sander turned on the pleading eyes. He rolled his eyes and sighed, moving his hands to his waist. 

“Oh no, baby. Allow me,” Sander interrupted, stopping his hands. He brought his hands to Robbe’s waist, accidentally kicking him a few times as he treaded water, and unknotted the shorts. He then pushed them down and taking a deep breath, he plunged below the surface, arms reaching overhead. Robbe could feel him working them the rest of the way down. 

When he could see a dark shape sinking toward the bottom, Sander popped up again in front of him, once again grinning. “Now doesn’t that feel better?”

“Honestly,” Robbe answered, “It feels kind of weird and not weird. Weird because we’re here, and I’m freaking out a little. But not weird because I’m with you, and it’s not like I’m not naked in water all the time at home. Well, except usually it’s in a shower, not an enormous, chlorinated bathtub.”

Sander barked out a laugh, leaning his head back. “Only you, Robin, would be analyzing this right now. Just go with it, baby.” At his words, he began circling Robbe again, his eyes turning predatory.

“Should I be worried?” Robbe asked, lifting an eyebrow and turning his body to face Sander as he moved.

“Not at all.”

“Are you sure? You’re kind of circling me like a vulture.”

“I’m just enjoying the view,” Sander stated, matter-of-factly.

“Pfft. You’re ridiculous.”

“Robbe?”

“Yeah.”

“Take a deep breath.”

“Wha--” Robbe began but stopped when he saw Sander dive beneath the surface, his pale bottom peaking out momentarily before his feet kicked up behind him.

Before Robbe could process what was happening, he felt Sander’s hand close around his ankle, and he was barely able to suck in a deep breath before he was pulled underwater.

So surprised by the turn of events, Robbe’s eyes shot open, and he looked around. Sander floated directly across from him, his dark hair undulating slowly above him. His eyes were open, focused on Robbe, his gaze intense.

Robbe realized what was about to happen just moments before it did. The bottom dropped out of his stomach, and his chest ached, his heart beating like a hummingbird in anticipation. Sander’s arms pulled back, propelling him forward, and then his hands reached for Robbe’s face. Robbe’s fingers automatically found Sander’s neck, and within moments they were kissing. This was happening. It was happening!

And...it was interesting, a little bizarre. Their lips pressed together softly, the water providing a surprising resistance. 

As he tried to deepen the kiss, an air bubble escaped Robbe’s mouth, and as he opened his lips for Sander’s tongue, a gush of chlorinated water flooded his mouth. He exhaled it out, closing his lips around Sander’s, and kicked his legs, propelling them upward.

When they reached the surface, they broke the kiss briefly to breathe and then slammed their lips together, kissing more successfully and furiously, hands caressing whatever they could reach.

Even as his mind registered how romantic this was--that Sander had paid attention when they were watching Romeo and Juliet and understood how much Robbe wanted to try this, that Sander had fabricated this whole evening to give Robbe the romantic moment he wanted, that kissing Sander anywhere at any time was still his favorite thing to do--his brain couldn’t stop thinking about how awkward it was. Sander didn’t taste like Sander. Water still dripped down their faces, getting in their eyes and tickling their cheeks. Their hands were occupied, holding one another closer, which made treading water harder. They were so close, their legs kept kicking one another. The whole thing was a bit of a mess, sloppy and uncoordinated.

Even so, Robbe enjoyed it. He was here. He was with Sander. They were kissing in their childhood pool, and Sander loved him, a fact that still staggered him, crushed him, made him feel weak and the happiest, luckiest person alive all at the same time. 

And everything so far tonight screamed how much Sander loved him. The date night, the robin, the pool, the underwater kiss. It was all so much, so wonderful, so ridiculously over the top, just like Sander, that Robbe couldn’t contain his feelings. Even as his body fought to stay in the kiss and his mind analyzed it, his heart exploded with love, overwhelming him. He needed more. He needed to be closer to Sander. He wanted to show him how much he loved him, how grateful he was to have him in his life.

Without thinking, he wrapped his legs around Sander, and within seconds, they sank below the surface. It didn’t take long for them to come sputtering back to the surface, laughing uncontrollably.

“Someone got carried away,” Sander snickered.

“Yeah well. You’re hot, and I love you,” Robbe countered.

“Touché.”

“Sander, that was...that was…”

“Awkward,” Sander supplied.

Robbe ducked his head, blushing because that’s exactly what Sander had thought it’d be like. Softly he continued, “I was going to say mind blowing, and it was,” he emphasized, responding to Sander’s incredulous look. “But yes it was also super awkward.” He blushed again and ran his knuckles along Sander’s cheek. “But thank you. You are the best, baby. This whole thing,” and he waved around at the pool in general, “Has been so amazing and wonderful. I can’t show you how much I love you right now because we’d drown, so I’ll tell you. I love you.” He gazed earnestly into Sander’s eyes, willing him to understand the depth of his feelings. “So much. You are truly the best, and I am so, so lucky.” 

“I love you too, Robin, and don’t get too excited. I’m not done yet.”

Robbe startled back, “What? You’re not?”

“I actually have one last gift for you.”

Robbe looked at the clock on the wall, 21:20. “Well, you can give it to me soon, then. We have to leave in a few minutes. I mean, that is, if you’re giving it to me here.”

“Oh, I’m giving it to you now.”

“You are? How?” Robbe asked, confused.

“I have it right here,” Sander said, opening his arms wide. 

Robbe looked at him, completely bewildered. Sander was naked. His pockets were in his shorts, which were currently at the bottom of the pool. What? How? Robbe’s eyes darted all over, looking for a clue, but he found nothing. 

How could Sander have one more present to give him? What was it? 

**Lets pretend this is one of the selfies they took at the tree…

Thank you for reading and celebrating this fictional boy’s birthday with me. I don’t think there’s any possible universe where Sander doesn’t spoil Robbe rotten on his birthday. Again, please forgive my mistakes (I was rushing to get it done), and I look forward to sharing the rest of the chapter with you….what is Sander’s surprise gift? Wait and see! 💖💖

[rainworldslugcats]

Hi ! Just wanted to ask , how do you put your own slugcat skin in game? I know it's works with fancy slugcat mod,,, but i don't know how to use it ;-; , can you teach me

i can try! although i only learned most of this very recently, so i’m not the most knowledgeable. i also use BepInEx as the modloader.

im going to start with the assumption that you already have fancy slugcats installed and working, after this you’re going to need the custom assets and custom tails mod. both can be found on RainDB.

keep in mind, each of these mods contains a read me with more information, so reference those if you don’t understand something in my explanation. everything is under a read more as this post is very long.

ive also attempted to be as detailed with this tutorial as possible.

and lastly, please read through the entire tutorial before starting work as it’s very likely you’ll end up having to redo things otherwise, mostly because of the way custom tails functions.

part 1: custom tails

we’ll start with adding a custom tail, the custom tails mod requires ConfigMachine, fancy Slugcats and Custom Assets. (publicity stunt is only required if you still use Partiality, not if you use BepInEx) download and apply these mods first. (the .dll files)

once you’ve downloaded custom tails you’ll find an “examples” folder in the .zip file, this contains the files you’ll edit to make your own custom tail. 

each of the example tails is shown on the thumbnail for the custom tails mod, so you can get an idea of how they look in action.

sidenote: the devil tail png is completely white, and thus it can be hard or impossible to see on a default photo viewer, open it on something like paint tool sai and add a colored background. once you’ve selected which base you want to use, extract (or just copy and paste) that tail png along with its txt file somewhere you can work on it, desktop works just fine. now you can make whatever modifications you want to the tail, i’ll use my firecracker tail as an example.

note: if you leave parts of the sprite purely white, it will get colored in with whatever color you choose in the fancy slugcats menu, its essentially transparency.

once you’re happy with how it looks, it’s time to apply it. firstly, change the tails name into something recognizable, like FRtail.png

now take your txt file and name it the same thing you named your tail, and make sure to be exact or things might break.

then open said txt file and change the default tail name into your tails name.

once all that is done, you have to navigate into the atlases folder in your rain world install. to get there open up steam, find RW and right click it in the menu to bring up this text box

choose “properties” at the very bottom to open up this menu

select “local files” on the side, and when you see this screen press “browse” and it will open up the root folder of RW.

(i have quite a bit more stuff in my install folder due to mods, so don’t worry about not having all of it) from here you want to open the “Assets” folder near the top, from there you open Futile > Resources > Atlases.

now all you need to do is put both your tail png and txt files into Atlases like so:

note: capital letters matter, if you used capital letters in your name you have to use those same capital letters in every name, for example if you use frtail.txt and FRtail.png it wont work. it all has to be the same in every case.

once that’s done, go back to your RW root folder (the one where RainWorld.exe is located) and open the “ModConfigs” folder, from there go to Fancy slugcats > custom heads. it will be empty if you haven’t made any modifications yet.

once youre here, make a new txt file and name it the same name you’ve used for your tail.png and txt files. then open it and type the same name inside it, don’t forget to save.

now you should be ready to open up RW, remember to enable the required mods: fancy slugcats, custom assets, custom tails, config machine and publicity stunt (partiality only)

note: if your game opens up to a black screen and wont start, it usually means something is wrong with the txt files, either you forgot to add a name inside one of them, you forgot to save when you added the name, or you’ve misspelled the name. double check all the names for your png and txt files.

now then, let’s get to adding your tail to your slugcat

once the game is open, navigate to settings and open mod config, from there you should see custom tails in the menu. once here type your custom tails name into the “sprite” box, remember to be exact with the name.

if the name shows up red, you’ve made a mistake somewhere in the process, if it shows up as white, its been successfully added!

if you touch the sliders it will add a gradient to your tail and undo/cover up any sprite changes, so keep them as black. you can also change your tails size in the fancy slugcats menu as usual.

now you have a snazzy tail to show off to the world! “.......but wait” i might hear you say “my tail isn’t the same color as the image i made!”

that’s because whatever color you apply to your slugcat in the fancy slugcats menu gets applied on top of the image you made. meaning if your slugcat is a rather more dark color, it will make your tail darker as well. meaning not only will bright aspects of it not be bright anymore, the base of your tail will be darker than your base slugcat color, thus it wont match. this is a problem i ran into as my slugcat is purple with bright accents.

the transparency i mentioned earlier helps with this “if you leave parts of the sprite purely white, it will get colored in with whatever color you choose in the fancy slugcats menu, its essentially transparency.“

you can use this transparency to make the base of your tail match the rest of your slugcats body, now all the white will be filled in with whatever color you’ve chosen in the menu, however it still wont fix all other parts of it having the base color applied to them.

now if your base slugcat color is white, you don’t have to worry about any of this at all! the tail will stay how you made it!

if your slugcat will be lightly colored but not completely white, or your dark slugcat will have dark markings, this is all stuff you can reasonably account for while making the markings themselves (once you’ve made the txt and png files and put them in the right places, you can edit the png in the atlases folder directly) but if you want to do something more close to my slugcat, we’re going to have to do it by changing the color of slugcat using sprites.

part 2: sprite edits

so, to get around this problem and to get the freedom to edit the sprites however we like we’re going to be editing each sprite separately. this way you can virtually add anything you like to your slugcat, antlers, spikes, fur. although this might require you to change the position of the sprites to get them to line up properly in-game.

i’ll only touch on recoloring sprites as i haven’t edited the shape of any of them yet, i’ll update this tutorial with extra info once i’ve tried it out myself.

some of slugcats sprites have multiple versions that will get bundled in order to make the animations you see in game (head, arms, legs)

others are static sprites and only have one version (tail, body, hips)

firstly, you’ll need to find the sprites you’re going to edit, all of these sprites are included in the custom assets zip file you downloaded from RainDB.

you’ll find slugcats sprites in Unpacked Atlases > RainWorld, extract this folder to make looking for the correct sprites easier.

note: all of the sprites are white by default, this makes them incredibly difficult to see in a folder without opening them in some external program, thus i’ve changed my windows settings to make the folder background dark (this can be found in Personalization)

this folder includes the sprites of most of the creatures in RW, so picking out slugcats sprites can be a tad... difficult. thus i'll name every single sprite you’ll need to hopefully make it easier. BodyA, HipsA, PlayerArm0 to 12, FaceA0 to 8, FaceB0 to 8, FaceDead, FaceStunned, HeadA0 to 17

aaand all the leg sprites are in a png because they have so many names

most of them can be found bunched up together in the RW folder, a tail texture isn’t included as that will still be handled through custom tails as detailed above.

now i suggest you make some way to store all of slugcats sprites neatly, as it will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. i separated all body part sprites into folders.

now you’re free to make any edits you like to the sprites. however, i’ll go about this tutorial with the expectation the only edits are color edits, not shape edits, as again i don’t have experience with those.

once your sprites are all colored and neatly organized its time to compile them, each body part gets compiled into their own bunch (arms in one, legs in another) for this you’ll need a program called texture packer, i can’t provide a direct link because my post might get thrown into the void by tumblr, there is however a direct link in the custom assets read me.

once you’ve downloaded texture packer, heres an easy to follow short video tutorial made by AndrewFM on how to use it.

once your sprites are bundled you’ll go through the same process as with adding your custom tail. i’ll use arm sprites as an example.

you’ll get a png file with all of your edited sprites in them, as well as a .json file that contains placement information, turn that json file into a txt by renaming it (yourarmname).txt

now open the txt file and rename every single part to whatever name you decided to give your arm sprites, but keep the numbers at the end of the sprite names, they are important.

note: do not rename the individual sprite png’s before they are packed

now that your txt and png files are ready, drop them into the same Atlases folder in your RW install as you did with your custom tail, and similarly add another new txt file into ModConfig > FancySlugcats > CustomHeads and rename it to the same name you named your sprite, and add that exact same name inside the txt file itself.

if the game yet again refuses to start, remember to double check the names in the txt files.

now we’re ready to apply the sprites in-game, open up RW and head to setting > mod config,

depending on which sprites you’ve edited, you’ll need to enter the sprite name into the specific field it belongs to, for me i’ll add the name to the arms section. you’ll get more details about what goes where when you hover over the text field.

for some of them, you’ll need to include A at the end of your sprite name, but only in the mod config menu

this shows where they are needed.

now you need to repeat this process for each bundle of slugcats body parts and apply them. note: body and hips despite both being part of slugcats main body gets applied separately, and even though they only have one sprite each you still need to pack them with texture packer and go through the same process as for the others.

this all might seem tiresome, and in certain ways it definitely is, but once you’ve gotten the hang of the packing, adding to folders and applying the process gets a lot faster.

once all of your sprites are applied, legs, hips, body, head, arms, tail. you want to make sure in fancy slugcats settings to make your slugcats color pure white so it wont affect your custom sprite coloration in any way. however you can apply color to slugcats face through the menu as usual.

there is a known issue where slugcats fists when climbing poles don’t get colored, this issue currently can’t be fixed easily.

the end result? quite a fancy slugcat indeed!

if i made any mistakes, or there’s extra info i should add, then message me and i’ll edit the post accordingly!

if there’s anything you can’t figure out no matter what you try, join the RW discord and ask people in the modding support channel, thats where i got most of my information from!

hopefully this is helpful to some of you! i spent quite a while making this tutorial so reblogs would be very much appreciated!

[lightneverfades]

Tehee! The Frostiron Holiday Wishes challenge ❆ is officially closed for submissions, and OPEN FOR CLAIMS! 🎅🎄 (Wishlist)

Sorry for the delay in posting the wishlist! And thank you so much to everyone who’s submitted prompts! :D ♥ ♥ ♥ 

For those not aware of the challenge, you can see what it it’s all about in the original post here! :)

*** This post was last updated: 12/8/2020 ***

Rules for Claiming a ‘Wish’

❆ Artists can claim as many ‘wishes’ (idea/prompt) as they want and fill them (as all prompts are not designated to a specific artist)!

After you’ve picked up a ‘Wish’ to Fill 

❆ Please be sure to contact me (lightneverfades) via message which one you chose! ❆ When you finish creating the artwork for the wish (ideally before Dec 24), please be sure to send me the art/fic/etc you’ve made! (If you need help sending it to me, let me know and I’ll help!)  ❆ I know you might be excited, but the surprise is what makes this fun, so please keep your artwork a secret until Dec 24 & 25!

❆ On Dec 24 & 25 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!) 🎅🎄, I will post a MASTER POST including links/photos/etc of all the artwork/completed fills received for the prompts below! :)

Types of Fills ✨

❆ Any type of fan works is allowed - That means fan fics, fan art (drawings, digital graphics), fan videos and fan mixes!

Note: *= Anything with this means I couldn’t directly tag the user’s name. (Please contact me and I will edit it so that it works!)

FAQ ✨

Q: Is there a word limit?  A: Nope, there is no word limit! ;) Although it will be ideal if the fic in general is a complete work! 

Without further ado, here are the wishes received for the challenge! ♥

Requester: @kimmycup​  Rating: G (General audience) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Invasion fic where Tony figures out Loki was mind controlled before Loki does: "But I WAS in control. Thanos didn't control me like I did Clint." "Yeah sure. And if you wanted to take over the world, what would you do?" Loki spluttered, fully aware that plan was dumb. Still, he would KNOW if he were controlled... Right? "But I wasn't mind controlled! It was me!"

Requester: @kimmycup​ Rating: G (General audience) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki in Tony's MIT sweatshirt.

Requester: @worstloki​  Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: nothing nsfw please >:) Wish (Prompt/Idea): Tony and Loki both having panic attacks at the same time. just make it wild. whatever the reasons are, maybe it's the same reason? maybe they have shared triggers? maybe it's separate reasons? maybe the other avengers are around and don't realize the incoming attacks and keep bringing up bad memories? maybe one of them notices the other is freaking out and defends them? maybe drags them away only to also start having a panic attack? whatever. they're both freaking out and just kinda do that. they then bond over it. (this can be crack or angsty I don't mind)

Requester: Nivael * Rating: E (Explicit) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): I’d always had that idea in my head, that Loki somehow took notice of Tony during the events of Thor 1, when he was on earth/watched Thor on earth.He fell in love with the mortal that was at the same time so different yet similar to him. So when he fell from the Rainbow bridge and into Thanos’ hands he planned to sabotage earths invasion from the very start to save Tony. Fast forward to at least after the end of Thor 2, (when Loki takes Odin’s place in the MCU) Loki escapes to earth after Thor thinks he’s been killed by the dark elves. He knows Thanos won’t rest until the infinity stones are his and the earth is still in danger. So he watches Tony to keep him save. With all the self hatred and lack of self esteem he harbors, he does not plan to actually act on his feelings, because he does not think he could be worthy of Tony. Plus, he invaded earth, caused lots of casualties, he’s an ugly Frost giant and the god of lies...so... yeah. He cannot think of one reason why Tony could be interested in him.But his feelings draw him to Stark and one day while following him, Loki gets careless and Tony discovers him. (Maybe Loki even discreetly intervenes a few times when Tony is in danger and Tony doesn’t notice until one day he does...?). So Stark confronts him and bit by bit (because Loki is not very cooperative and the least he wants is for Tony to discover his "ugly" emotional secret) he uncovers the truth about Thanos, the invasion and how Loki feels for him. I can imagine Loki to react ashamed, dismissive and maybe aggressive when Tony finally finds out. Tony, not being stupid, already suspected something to be fishy about the invasion. With how much Thor told him about Lokis wit and cleverness, he finds it hard to believe that Loki would make so many obvious mistakes. But now that he knows, all makes sense.Loki still watches over Tony, but keeps his distance. Until one day he saves Tonys life during a (random) attack and gets badly injured. With Lokis life on the line Stark realizes he has feelings for Loki and he takes him in to take care of his wounds. Healing takes some time so the two have plenty of time to get to know each other and deepen their feelings. Smut may follow :D (Oh... I am SO SORRY this became so much. God, it is too much, isn’t it? And sorry for my english o.o)

Requester: Nivael * Rating: E (Explicit) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki and Tony are in an established relationship. Things go great, but Loki is still unaccepting of his Jotun heritage and body. While Tony is completely fascinated by it, partly because Loki tries to hide it so hard. So he gets a fancy magical gadget from Strange (amulet, bracelet,...?) to be able to avoid frostbite so he can touch Loki even when he's in his Jotun form. Then there will be smut! :D

Requester: @brianadoesart​  Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): MERMAIDS. I like mermaids. Either a fic or art, but I just want more content of mer-Loki or mer-Tony.   I always enjoy versions where Loki is an underwater prince who falls in love with a stupid human inventor by the name of Tony. He's never been 100% happy in the palace with Thor and the others, so he often would go to the shore to watch the humans. He sees Tony working on the beach one day and becomes interested in him from there on. Basically a little mermaid type thing... I am easy to please. I just like mermaids.

Requester: @brianadoesart​ Rating: G (General audience) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): A.... Among Us au.......  Impostor Loki protecting his crewmate friend Tony from the other impostors.... I..... Tony and Loki as Among Us beans...

Requester: @arandomsewer​   Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: Mentions of trauma and past abuse and racism, maybe sex? Just some drama and comfort Wish (Prompt/Idea): I just want him to live on and being supported by his Friends and his brother recognizing him, that's basically the prompt. Tho here's the details of the Idea I had: Loki is living at the tower with the others (of course) too proud to say out loud how much he likes life on earth... The usual.Something happens and suddenly the magic that made him look Asgardian is just not working anymore. Understandably, he freaks out. Im talking hides in his room, crying, anger, hate, on himself and others... The whole lot, he just throws a major fit.The others know him and kind of understand and are patient... But it’s not getting fixed. Days pass, and he's stuck like this. After a while Tony snaps him out of It, and he slowly calms down and starts learning to accept this side of himself. It’s specially strange to him how he can just walk in a room and no one treats him different. How the others are even fascinated by this form. I expect Thor being shocked and curious and snapped at and reminded how he (and his people on general) have been unfair to Loki... And of course, there's the romance with Tony, Who loves him in all his forms (and they fit together 'cause he's kinky and Loki a shapeshifter)Also imagine Loki being terrified of touching Tony and then finding out he's cold to the touch but not actually dangerous (my headcanon: he's the son of Hella. Half giant and half Asgardian, and the actual heir... But that's for another fic)

Requester: @brianadoesart​​ Rating: G (General audience)   Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Tony has been living alone for so long that Pepper and Rhodey decide to find him a roommate. They've tried living with him themselves, but they're both so busy it didn't really help Tony's loneliness. So they put out an ad for someone who specifically works from home. Choosing to keep it secret WHO they need a roommate for, they get some applicants, but not the crazy amount they normally would. Rhodey and Pepper go through all the applicants, even meet with them, and they choose a nice, smart author named Loki. He's the perfect candidate- he's even excited by the idea that his new roommate has no idea he's even GETTING a roommate. He finds it funny. They introduce Loki and Tony and sit back and watch everything unfold. Obviously it ends up with Tony and Loki falling for each other in the end, but seeing the shenanigans of them trying to cohabitate would be hilarious. Just watching them learn each other and begin to care about each other. I would like to see it.

Requester: @brianadoesart​​ Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Cupcake shop au!!!  One of our boys owns a cupcake shop and the other one is a FREQUENT visitor to said coffee shop. Lots of people think its because they have a sweet tooth, but they're just hopelessly in love with whichever one owns the shop.

Requester: @loufeysson​​ Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Hi! my prompt is teenage Tony and android Loki in a futuristic universe (in the style of Black Mirror, maybe?) 🥺👉🏼👈🏼 Thank you!

Requester: @blancoluna​ Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: CRACK, haha Wish (Prompt/Idea): Basically Friga wonders where she went wrong, asks the Oracle and goes on a guilt trip realizing she messed up to Valhalla and back. The idea is, being a queen-godess of family, she should be able to do something about it, maybe traveling in time or something... And Loki's gonna need powerful allies and Friends, like the Avengers, for example Now the same, but with detail. This is the way I imagined It. Perhaps it’s too much drama? I just don't know how to tackle It or how to go from here:After everything that happened, Frigga wonders where she went wrong, not just with Loki, but with Thor who didn't appreciate his brother, Odín, who treated him unfairly and even the servants, Who didn't respect him.She wonders if she could have done anything, and the guilt wont let her sleep until she goes to the well of wisdom, the Oracle, to seek answers.She is warned the truth may be even more painful. She may not like the answer... But she goes in.It is way worse than she thought: in one second she is reminded of all the times she should have acted, and chose not to, and she sees how It affected her family.She could and should have done something, and she had plenty of time, but at every chance she chose not to. And its perhaps worse than what Odin did because she knew It was wrong but chose to do nothing about It.But even more: It is confirmed to her that not only Odín never gave Loki a chance: he didn't find him. He stole him from the temple where he was guarded. He is not just the son of Louffey, but also of Hella, and thus, the actual heir to the throne of Asgard.She was supposed to be the godess of family, and here she was, consumed by guilt and shame, by having followed blindly a King Who abused her children and betrayed his own heir, aside from many other crimes.But Frigga can't just spend the test of eternity crying. She must do something. She was raised by witches!!Will she manage to get her hands on the time Stone? Or Will she just travel to another dimension to warn a younger version of herself? Will this be the beginning of a new multiverse? The possibilities are endless, when the godess of family must avenge her child...But first: for him to have a better Life he would need support, allies... Friends. (Enter the Avengers) 

Add-on: Frigga having this vision was just meant to be a one shot that would connect many different alternative stories, all with the 'what if Frigga did something for Loki' as a common base. All of them would be Frostiron 'cause I honestly believe they are just meant for one another! It is just so open to so many possibilities... That I never got to writing any of them. 

One of the first ideas I had following this concept was of Frigga introducing Tony and Loki early on somehow: as kids they would be like 'imaginary friends' then Tony manages to contact him and they are webcam buds... As young adults, they would help each other go a different path than they did in other lives.... and when Loki needed help, he had allies to back him. (The Avengers, whom Tony may have introduced to him earlier)

Requester: @snarkyship​​ Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Human/no powers AU. Sort-of-enemies to friends to lovers.Tony rents this house/bungalow by the sea for the summer, with a kind of private beach where there is also a cute gazebo. Only that the gazebo is exactly halfway with the other property (by some mistake?). And the tenant of the neighbour bungalow is Loki, who's not so keen on sharing. So Loki&Tony will start a "war" to gain possession of the gazebo, doing their worst using the excuse of "this is my half, I can use it as I want". ((Optional: there is a table right in the middle, so at the beginning they sit at their own side glaring at each other, before starting deploying more convoluted tactics)).Mischief after mischief, they will start to know each other and of course everything will end with one of them inviting the other to their half for a romantic dinner and they'll end up sharing more than the gazebo <3((I hope it's enough clear and but also not too detailed??))

Requester: @snarkyship​​ Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Finally Tony has managed to locate Loki's whereabouts. And it turns out the godling lives in a pretty loft in Manhattan, with all the comforts and the most advanced midgardian technology ((lighting, temperature and everything controlled by a tablet - the Stark latest model!- , appliances linked to the wifi, and has that roomba a knife??)).Tony decides to have a little fun: who said Loki is the only one who can do a little mischief?? So he takes control over Loki's apartment hacking its system; he starts with some flickering lights, the roomba changing suddenly trajectory to stab him, then blasting music in the middle of the night and so on.And Loki would be so frustrated: at the beginning he thinks about some failure in the inferior midgardian technology, then he'll think to be under attack, but he can't feel any magic signature!! Maybe he'll freak out a little, because there is some kind of unknown entity??? ((And while he may be using all the technology without problems, it doesn't mean he fully understands its working)).Tony will have fun, but he also will discover some cute aspects of Loki's personality, like he sings to his plants and he likes to wear fuzzy socks ((ok it sounds voyeuristic, but Tony would respect part Loki's privacy, maybe he'll spy on him only when in the living room or kitchen)).((And maybe he would help Loki as well? Like, the godling had a nightmare after falling asleep on the couch, and Tony would gently woke him up with music))Loki will eventually understand that Stark, the most clever midgardian, was behind all of this, and well, he's the God of Mischief, he can appreciate a well planned trick. Time to return the favor ;)

Requester: @martiszcz​ Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Someone is trying to break them up by making Loki jealous, mentioning Tony's playboy years, talking about the time they slept with Tony, talking about how much time he spends with some friend (Pepper, Rhodey, I don't care who) but Loki doesn't react - they trust each other.

Requester: @shinindragon​  Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): The Avengers + Loki fight a villain. Loki uses a lot of his magic, eventually almost draining his energy completely when he protects Tony from getting hurt. When the battle is over, they return to the tower, all of them exhausted. Tony notices Loki doesn't look well, he asks if he's okay. Loki barely gets a word out before he collapses into Tony's arms, unconscious. Thor carries Loki to Tony's and his bedroom, explaining to Tony that he'll be alright, it's just exhaustion from an excessive use of magic. Tony stays with Loki, taking care of him. Fluff and with a sprinkle of angst. 

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) or M (Mature) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Detroit: Become Human AU - Young Tony Stark is neglected by his father, who is the CEO of CyberLife corporation. He craves for his attention and approval but doesn’t get it, causing him to become so bitter one day that he sneaks into one of the labs to sabotage whatever work he is doing. Tony comes across an abandoned RK800 model (also known as ‘Loki’), about to be taken apart for parts. He salvages the model before it gets destroyed, feeling sorry for this inanimate object that’s being thrown away so carelessly. He rebuilds Loki again in secret, and Loki becomes his friend through lonely times (Tony is there to help Loki understand humans, life, language, etc and Loki just keeps Tony company). Tragedy strikes the Stark family though, when his parents die in a car accident. Loki is there to help him and as Tony starts to grow up and become a man (he continues to fix Loki when he breaks down or updates him), Loki’s system starts to show signs similar to that of human emotions, although Tony is completely unaware of this. At a certain point though, Tony - in one of his bad moods - decides that he doesn’t need Loki anymore and shuts him down and puts him away in storage, resolving to move on with life without these ‘distractions’ to keep him company (image a scene where Tony is angry and throws that frustration and loneliness onto Loki, who tries to calm him down and sooth away his anxiety (’I understand you’) but Tony’s all (‘But you’re just a machine!’) and although Tony isn’t aware, Loki feels a spark of hurt, though even he can’t explain what this emotion means.)  Years pass and eventually Tony forgets about Loki. He earns a name for himself, having taken over his father’s company (which still creates androids and in addition, creates weaponry of mass destruction as well). Obadiah is watching over Tony’s company (he is the one who ‘suggested’ he focus on building a name for himself and to shut out any ‘distractions’ that get in the way: namely Loki. Over the years, he saw how Tony interacted with the android and he had the uneasy sense that the android had matured into something more than its primary use. He considers Loki a threat). The events of Iron Man happen, with Tony being captured by the Ten Rings and then escaping. During his days confined at home to recover, he stumbles upon Loki and decides to reboot him again (partly out of guilt and partly because he’s lonely again). He finds comfort with Loki once more.  Tony decides to crash the charity party by making an appearance with Loki as his ‘bodyguard’. Obadiah sees this and is not happy about this strange attachment Tony has over this android.  Loki helps Tony build his first prototypes of the Iron Man suit, and they get to reacquaint themselves. One day, Loki sees on the news that there are a number of deviant android cases and is confused by what he sees, but it soon dawns on him that he might be feeling emotions for Tony, finally understanding the true meaning, especially when Tony is injured (while Loki is out on an errand) and Obadiah ambushes Tony by stealing the mini arc reactor in his chest.  Shortly afterwards, to spite Tony, Obadiah hacks into Loki’s system and tries to eradicate the ‘deviancy’ he sensed in Loki years ago and turn the android against Tony (he tries to make Loki kill him). It doesn’t work - on the contrary, it finally frees Loki. Together, Tony and Loki go against Obadiah, who is intent on destroying them and taking over CyberLife corp.

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: T (Teen and up audiences)  Trigger warning: Sickly, happy song cliches! xD Hah! Wish (Prompt/Idea): In which Tony or Loki (you can choose) is cursed by Amora to relive a week in which their lives suddenly become a musical and everyone around them spontaneously bursts into dance and song. (I have this image of Loki bursting into song about something ridiculous and Tony’s like, “What the HELL, what’s going on!”). This could either be enemies-to-lovers or it could start from them already being in a relationship. Bonus points if the Avengers team all burst into song together and there’s actually lyrics!! (Then I can actually make up a tune/sing it during the last month of 2020 so this year ends with rainbows and fluff and HAPPY FROSTIRON THOUGHTS! XD)

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) or M (Mature) Trigger warning: FLUFF OVERLOAD! <3 Mpreg (might not be everyone’s cup of tea) Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki has a kid with Tony (eeehehe, go all in with the loving and caring Tony fussing over his pregnant enemy-turned-boyfriend-turned-husband), calls her Morgan. Tony is obsessed with buying baby clothes for their daughter to the point where he has a closet dedicated to socks (lol he can’t get enough of small baby clothes and the potential to make his daughter look like a rainbow?!). Lol, I don’t even know! Just domestic bliss I guess! <3 Bonus points if Tony buys Christmas sweaters for his fam, including the Avengers, who dote on baby Morgan like their own (Thor with his anime eyes). Or even better, if baby Morgan grows up and plays little tricks on Uncle Thor and Loki and Tony chuckle in the background as Thor lets his niece do whatever she wants, cause he loves him too much to care, lol~

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: CRACK, haha Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki is a yoga instructor and one day Tony goes to one of his classes and finds out the best positions to ‘relax’ - body, mind and soul >:D. (I love puns, so go crazy hahaha!) 

[jiminieloved]

Ultimate Jikook Timeline PT 13

School Luv Affair Era, Part 7

UJT in Depth

1. May 28, 2014:

a) ASC Aftershow (JM, JK, RM)

LINK

They’re so touchy and cute this whole episode. I’m not giving you timestamps, just watch this!! It’s totally worth your time.

b) Twitter post 

Caption: Today is Exciting Day Let’s started ~~~?yo?hehe

2. May 29, 2014: 

a) Japanese Interview 

Everyone calls JM uninteresting, and JK agrees. (Poor JM can’t catch a break)

b) Niconico Livestream, premium section

In the ear whispering section, starting around 5:30, you get to see their ‘flirty’ demeanors. JM is soo awkward and JK is actually really smooth! Directly after, JM starts chasing JK around?? Then at 9:35, JM tries to hug JK and tells him he’s cool.

c) Bangtan Bomb

JK being moody, but at 3:58 they get him to participate in their meme. What follows is very.... interesting

d) Bangtan Bomb

Jikook sitting together, minor moment. 

e) Haruhana Photoshoot

During photoshoot video, there is a jikook moment right at the beginning.

3. June 1, 2014:

Bangtan Bomb

A very hyper Jimin following a shy Jungkookie around with the camera and calling him handsome.

4. June 2, 2014: YoonJikook Video Log

They mention that they made their sandwiches together. 

5. June 3, 2014: BTS Festa 2014 Interview

JM’s description of JK: “He’s kind, innocent, and is bad at expressing his feelings. That’s why he’s cute. Jeonggukkie’s mine.”

Jimin responses:

 habit: being attached to jeongukkie!!

3 things jimin likes: jeongukkie, performing, receiving attention

Recommends ‘Paper Hearts’ by Tori Kelly

Best represented by 1:23 of Just One Day MV (1:23....)

Member ranking: RM, JM, JK....

JK’s description of JM: timid, shameless, and hates losing

Jeongkuk’s responses

Member ranking: 1. Rm, Jin, Suga, Hope, JM, V, Jk (did he just do age order w/ RM in first place?)

Ranks looks 0.01/100 

6. June 4, 2014:

Oricon MV Making

2:31 JK initiated skinship and Jikook screaming together

7. June 5, 2014:

a) BTS Twitter post

b) TV K-ON Interview 

In this interview, JK once again gets asked to rank the members looks (poor JK, honestly, he even asks to forfeit). This time, he ranks JM 6th instead of last.

JK also says while drawing a number “I like 13″. (Foreshadowing)

c) KCon Promotion Video

JK seems a lot more upbeat in this video- he looks and smiles at JM a lot.

8. June 7, 2014: BTS Festa pictures

9. June 8, 2014: BTS Festa

10. June 9, 2014:

BTS at Gimpo Airport arrival from Japan

11. June 10, 2014:

a) BTS Festa (1 year of BTS)

12. June 11, 2014:

a) MBC True Colors Radio Show

Part 1

6:52 Jungkook’s ideal type “tall, white skin”, 8:01 Jimin’s ideal type “cute girls, weird charms, someone who acts silly”

Pt 2

Pt 3

2:40 JM says when he is feeling down, he wants to go on a trip alone with jK, because he thinks JK is cute, Jungkook avoids eye contact/looks shy

Pt 4

2:25 JM complaining that he coddles JK but JK likes Jin better, 4:02 members say Jimin changed the most since debut because he lost a lot of weight

b) BTS log

3:48 Tae says he has been practicing choreography with Jimin and JK and says he has a lot to learn from them regarding dancing

13. June 12, 2014: 

BTS Festa video

“Last night, JK was sleeping in JM’s bed” 

JM ranks JK last in appearance ranks in retaliation

Jk asks JM to show his abs

36:00 jk is staring at JM, JM catches him

39:25, JK laughs really hard when JH squeezes JM’s cheeks

56:34 JK laughs really hard at JM again :’)

1:05:00 JM puts a balloon string in his mouth and makes eye contact with JM??

In general just a lot of random eye contact.... Hmm

Information compiled by Shan and @lagalaxiedemochi

previous...next

[cloudyobsession]

THE GREAT MIKU CONCERT WATCH PARTY 2020-2021

Hey there Vocaloid fans! Are you as bummed about the cancelation of Miku Expo 2020 USA & Canada as I am? Maybe you’re looking to build up your excitement ahead of Magical Mirai at the end of the year? Or maybe you just want to take a look back at a decade of live Miku music~

Starting tomorrow (October 10th, 2020) and for the next 20 WEEKENDS, Every Saturday at 4 PM (Chicago time) I will be hosting watch parties for concert movies and footage of Crypton’s official Hatsune Miku live shows. We’re gonna take a look back at a decade’s worth of Hatsune Miku concerts, watch them evolve over the years, compare the shows across different regions, and just have fun gushing over fun music, lights, and sets. I know an awful lot about these concerts, so I’ll be adding in a lot of history, behind-the-scenes info, trivia, and commentary as we watch. Most weekends I’ve planned two concerts per stream, with a few exceptions. Also, since this will overlap with ExtraLife a bit, these will be charity streams as well!

If that sounds like something you might be into, give me a follow over at twitch.tv/CloudyObsession and read below the page break for the schedule and more information!

An important note: because it would be illegal for me to stream these concerts to my Twitch channel directly, I will be providing a YouTube* link in the panels below my stream where viewers can find the video we are watching, and on-screen I will have a thumbnail-sized window of the video with no audio, as well as large timer displaying the video’s playtime so that you can be sure to sync your video up with mine (otherwise my stream will mostly just be my webcam and mic audio).  Unfortunately, this means you will have to open the video in a separate window while keeping the stream open, I’m sorry for the inconvenience but it’s the only way I can make it work

*I have made sure each of the concerts on the schedule are available for viewers to watch, I tried to keep it exclusively to videos on YouTube, but there were a few important shows (in my opinion, anyway) that are not available on YT, but are available on BiliBili. Bilibili is a Chinese video hosting site similar to Nico Nico Douga. Unfortunately, the site is entirely in Chinese and may be a little hard to navigate for the unfamiliar, on top of requiring an account for HD streaming (although no account is needed for SD streams). Only 3 of the 40+ concerts I plan I have scheduled will be on Bilibili, and I will denote which those are on the schedule. It’s also worth noting that while I have verified that these videos are not blocked in the US, I can’t guarantee their availability in other regions, so if you are outside the US you may need a VPN to watch some of the concerts.

Here is a quick look at the schedule! You can also click each week for a brief explanation of the theme and a more in-depth look at the concerts we’ll be watching (only the first few are available, this is a work in progress).

Week 1 - Oct 10 @ 4pm CDT (GMT -5) My Favorite Concerts: Magical Mirai 2018 and Snow Miku 2019

Week 2 - Oct 17 @ 4pm CDT (GMT -5) Miku Concert Beginnings: 39s Giving Day 2010 and MikuPa (Miku Live Party) Sapporo 2011

Week 3 - Oct 24 @ 4pm CDT (GMT -5) 2012’s Legendary Double-Concert: MikuPa Tokyo 2012 and 39s Giving Day 2012

Week 4 - Oct 31 @ 4pm CDT (GMT-5) Hatsune Appearance - Smaller-Scale & Pre-Recorded: Hatsune Appearance 2012, Hatsune Appearance 2013

Please note that the following times are after the US Daylight Savings Time ends, and the timezone changes from Central Daylight Time (GMT -5) to Central Standard Time (GMT -6)

(Also I took the weekend of the 7th off for Extra Life game day weekend)

Week 5 - Nov 14 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) A 3-Hour Concert?!  The Final MikuPA! Also some PJD mini-concerts: MikuPa Kansai 2013, Natsu no Owari no 39 Matsuri 2012, Matsuri Da Diva 2014

Week 6 - Nov 21 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) The Very First Magical Mirai and Miku Expo Concerts Ever!: Magical Mirai 2013 and Miku Expo in Indonesia 2014

Week 7 - Nov 28 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Comparing the First Two US Concerts, Three Years Apart!: Mikunopolis in Los Angeles 2011 and Miku Expo in NY/LA 2014

Week 8 - Dec 5 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Magical Mirai Goes Annual~: Magical Mirai 2014 and 2015

Week 9 - Dec 12 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Miku Expo visits China: Miku Expo Shanghai 2015, Miku Expo China 2016

Week 10 - Dec 19 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Back to Japan for 2016: Magical Mirai 2016, Miku Expo Japan 2016 (Bilibili video)

Week 11 - Dec 26 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) 2017: Ten Years of Miku! 10th Anniversary concerts: Magical Mirai 2017, Miku With You 2017

Week 12 - Jan 2 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Miku Symphony - Prepare To Cry: Miku Symphony 2017, Miku Symphony 2018-2019

Week 13 - Jan 9 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Miku x Kodo - A Miku Concert with Taiko Drums: Miku x Kodo 2017, Miku x Kodo 2018

Week 14 - Jan 16 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Snow Miku! <3: Snow Miku 2018 (Bilibili video), Snow Miku 2019

Week 15 - Jan 23 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Magical Mirai Gets Better and Better: Magical Mirai 2018, Magical Mirai 2019

Week 16 - Jan 30 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Miku Expo Keeps On Growing: Miku Expo Malaysia 2017, Miku Expo Europe 2018

Week 17 - Feb 6 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Miku in China - Two More Years of Miku With You: Miku With You 2018, Miku With You 2019

Week 18 - Feb 13 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) The Miku Concert With No Audience (and a look at Miku Expo Europe 2020): Untitled 0 Live, Miku Expo London 2019

Week 19 - Feb 20 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Before the Beginning: Miku Fes’ 2009 (and a quick look at other notable concerts): Miku Fes’09, MikuPa Tokyo 2011, MikuPa Singapore 2011, MikuPa Taiwain & Hong Kong 2012, Symphony Ihatov, MikuPa Sapporo 2013, Snow Miku 2015)

Week 20 - Feb 27 @ 4pm CST (GMT -6) Hatsune Miku VR Future Live & Project Diva X Concert Editor

IF I AM UNABLE TO STREAM AT THE SCHEDULED TIME FOR ANY REASON, THE STREAM WILL BE MOVED TO THE NEXT DAY (SUNDAY) AT THE SAME TIME.

Stay tuned for more info! I’ll be making a series of 20 follow-up posts, one for each week, to briefly explain the theme and take a more in-depth look the concerts we’ll be watching that Saturday <3

[onisiondrama]

Link

Notes:

Greg / James says if anyone online is being negative to you then they show up at your house that’s stalking or harassment. This person said they were following him for days, that’s stalking. Asked how you could give that information to a stalker (I think he’s talking about the 9-1-1 call.) He wonders how Youtube is ok with this. They talk about how Post Malone sued Jake Paul for filming his house. Someone says Chirs Hansen filmed Greg’s house then posted it to Youtube. Says he bragged about it, asks how it’s allowed.

He lists negative things that have been in the news about Chris Hansen. Cheating on his wife, being evicted, owing a credit card company money, etc. Says let’s say someone did that and he felt like showing up to their house after making a series of hateful videos about them. Says he would be in jail. He says anyone else would have been in jail. Someone asks if Chris Hansen has a journalistic license to do that and Greg says no. He says Chris’ show was canceled because someone killed themselves and was sued for $100 million so he is done. Asks where his credibility is. Points out the likes to dislikes ratio (on Chris Hansen’s 9-1-1 call video I think) is mostly likes and asks if the world lost its mind.

Someone tries to bring up the lawyer but Greg says he doesn’t care. He just wants nothing to do with this person. Says showing up to someone’s house is what psychos do. It’s creepy. Says he’s freaked out by the boundaries that were crossed and there is just cheering. Says it’s like Trump would still be elected if he shot someone. Morals are gone. Nothing matters anymore, only what satisfies people to get their entertainment kick. People aren’t people anymore. Someone says that’s the whole internet and Greg says that’s why you handle shit in real life. If you have a problem with someone, you use the legal system. Don’t make video after video after video.

Greg says people just want to be mad at someone for shit that isn’t even real. Says he’s heard stories about himself for 8 years and was always surprised with what people came up with. Says people are always mad, but they can’t do anything legally because it’s not about real shit.

Compares his situation to when PewDiePie was robbed. Says people aren’t being compassionate because they don’t see celebrities as people.

Says he doesn’t know the full story about the lawyer and it’s none of his business. Asks why people are obsessed with going after people when they don’t know the full story. Says everyone went after James Charles without knowing the full story.

Says the problem with coming back (I think he means fighting back) is that you are directly hurting someone. Says Tati got a ton of hate when James Charles came back. It’s always hurting someone, but people will keep hurting you if you don’t come back. Everyone wants to hate someone, it’s one or the other person. Says what if the other person has a mental disorder or was suicidal, would you want to fight back? If he was in that situation he would rather let people hate him.

Greg says he could fight back and violate non-disclosure agreements, but he prefers not not engage. Says there is a guy who is now showing up at his doorstep to get his side of the story. You can’t bully someone to entertain your audience and to make you money.

Says people aren’t going after human traffickers or people that admitted to doing horrible things because it doesn’t sell video titles. People want to see people that know be torn apart.

Says he’s going to be a little woke. Says when he went after Social Repose and went after Eugenia Cooney for promoting eating disorders, you didn’t see him going after nobodies that were worse because he was talking about things that would get him clicks. People on Youtube don’t talk about things that really matter. Says it’s fake and they only do it for money. 

Says we were all drunk on self obsession and didn’t realize how shallow it is. Says the real world is more important than the internet. When he talks to people in real life, they listen to him. People on the internet only hear what they want to hear. Says that’s why you don’t do an interview with people who have more to gain from you being a monster then you being who you really are. That’s insane. Asks how bad would it be for them if they built a whole channel on you being a monster and you go on and show you are the opposite. 

Someone says he (chris hansen) would twist everything Greg would say. Greg says the fact that you could twist someone showing up to your house after you already threatened legal action against them and make yourself the good guy blows his mind. Says people have families and this is not a reality show. Says they are trying to collect profit and clout.

Someone says he did the right thing by calling the cops and Greg asks what was he supposed to, what would anyone do? 

Says person after person who came on the show had nothing to say because there’s nothing there. 

Says for most people, when they are on good terms with someone they say nice things about them. When you don’t want them in your life anymore, they’re going to make it like they hated you the while time.

Someone says they haven’t heard of half the people on the show, but now everyone knows their names and it was all for clout. Greg says, “you and me both.” Says he’s only had a conversation with half of the people on the show. Doesn’t know who the other people are. Says they don’t do any credential check to verify if that person was in your life, all they want is the number of women to go up.

Greg talks about his old tweet that said he’s a comedian because people will laugh when he dies.

Someone asked how long Greg was going to be in voice chat. He says until his heart feels better.

They talk about how being famous sucks.

Greg asks how many people Chris Hansen interviewed are innocent. Greg says zero because only someone dumb enough to be a criminal would be dumb enough to be interviewed by him. He says he demands they pay him because they are making money on everyone involved, including alleged victims. He says this is why you go through the legal system, so you don’t make money off people’s suffering. He says no one is willing to pay him or they would lose money. No one wants the real story unless they make money.

He says Youtube’s new anti-harassment policy only applies to targets people like. When someone people don’t like is harassed, people applaud.

Greg says as soon as he went to college everyone was civil, There were no bullies in college. Someone says they are in a sorority and Greg says they messed up his point because he remembered hazing is bullying. 

They talk about slut shaming and gender. He says slut shaming keeps people from making a lot of money online. Says he knew someone who made 20,000 a month and didn’t show nudity. (I’m not sure what his point was there.)

Says he tweeted about something nice someone he once knew said, but he forgot to crop the number at the top. He deleted it. Twitter didn’t do anything about it because it was an accident, but Patreon said he was using Patreon to fund doxing. He says it funded his projects and discord events and they still destroyed it.

Says he doesn’t understand what is wrong with his 9-1-1 call and why people meme’d it. He said he was polite and calm. Says he feels bad about talking about someone’s mental disorder, but you have to tell them the absolute truth. He told them so they could understand the situation and didn’t want it to be public. Now this person is going to be more upset.

Says he lost his desire to drag people online.

Says he used to make videos documenting things step by step and the first time the audience reaction was mostly people saying he was wrong was 2016. Before that everyone would say what he said was real.

Says there were two people on Hansen’s show that he bolt locked his door because he was afraid they were going to murder him in his sleep. Says he has a mental disorder, depression. He’s not better, but when you are afraid of someone you can’t have them in your life. Says it’s surreal he’s being made out to be a piece of shit for not allowing that in his life. (sure Jan)

Says when someone with a mental disorder is going through something and they are rejected it’s like Chernobyl. Someone says people literally go crazy and he agrees.

If he could go back in time he wouldn’t talk to anyone and to not make friends. If he collabed with someone he would only work with them professionally because when you get to know people you start to see the cracks so you don’t want to be with them anymore then the cracks gush all over you.

Says when he’s kicked out of someone’s life he looks at himself to see what he did wrong. Says he uses Hannah Minx as an example. Says she kicked him out of her life because he said “i love you” way too soon. He says he said “ok I fucked up” and that’s the end of it. (lol he talked about her for years) He said that’s how he likes to handle rejection. Says when you have depression you blame yourself more. 

Says everyone should ask how they should make them-self less toxic, but that’s not how you get video views.

[bountyofbeads]

To Gain Leverage in China Trade Talks, Trump Shows Solidarity With Hong Kong https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/22/us/politics/trump-china-hong-kong.html

Trump's natural instinct is not concern for those #HongKong protesters who are putting their lives on the line fighting for Democracy and freedom, but what he can get out of the situation. This should tell you everything you need to know about the soul of the man who occupies the Oval Office. #VoteBlue2020 #VoteBlueToSaveAmerica #VoteBlueNoMatterWho

To Gain Leverage in China Trade Talks, Trump Shows Solidarity With Hong Kong

By Alan Rappeport and Edward Wong | Published August 22, 2019, 3:33 p.m. ET | New York Times |Posted August 22, 2019 8:30 PM ET |

WASHINGTON — President Trump has shifted his stance on the unrest in Hong Kong in recent days to show greater solidarity with the pro-democracy protesters after coming to view the issue as a point of leverage in trade negotiations with China.

For months, Trump administration officials described the Hong Kong uprising as an internal matter for China, aware of how delicate the issue is for President Xi Jinping and other Communist Party officials. With tensions already high between the two nations and trade talks stalled, the administration chose to tread lightly.

But as the protests have dragged on, advisers to Mr. Trump have succeeded in making the case that wading into the issue could prove necessary — and advantageous — to the United States as it tries to push Beijing to accede to its trade terms.

After previously saying Hong Kong was a “very tough situation” that was up to Chinese leaders to handle, Mr. Trump has more recently called on those leaders to offer a “humane” response and urged Mr. Xi to engage in dialogue with the protesters.

The change in the administration’s tone appeared to be carefully coordinated this week, after Mr. Trump on Sunday issued a warning to China. The words were couched in practical terms centered on a trade deal, not in the language of human rights, but they were nevertheless surprising given Mr. Trump’s earlier passive remarks on Hong Kong.

“I think it would be very hard to deal if they do violence,” Mr. Trump said on Sunday. “I mean, if it’s another Tiananmen Square, it’s — I think it’s a very hard thing to do if there’s violence.”

The next day, Vice President Mike Pence echoed those words in a speech in Detroit. “It will be much harder for us to make a deal if something violent happens in Hong Kong,” he said. “And I want to assure you, our administration will continue to urge Beijing to act in a humanitarian manner and urge China and the demonstrators in Hong Kong to resolve their differences peaceably.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was even more explicit in tying Hong Kong to trade in an interview with Fox News on Monday. He accused China of violating promises it made to Hong Kong and commitments about protecting human rights.

“When we try to negotiate a trade agreement with them,” Mr. Pompeo said, “we’ve tried to put in processes that ensure we have the opportunity to verify because we need to make sure that we don’t suffer from China breaking a promise or have to watch Chinese disinformation about the agreement that’s entered into.”

By conveying the belief that China is straying from its decades-old commitment to preserve Hong Kong’s independent political system, the top American officials are buttressing their argument that a trade treaty with China must have strict enforcement provisions.

They are also sending the message that a violent crackdown in Hong Kong along the lines of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre would make China a pariah in the eyes of many Americans and other citizens around the world, rendering it all but impossible to resume trade discussions amid the global backlash.

“Showing support for a peaceful resolution of the situation in Hong Kong could potentially give the U.S. a stronger hand in trade negotiations under the assumptions that Beijing wants a trade deal badly enough and wants to maintain Hong Kong’s special status in its trade with the U.S.,” said Eswar Prasad, the former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division. “Both are reasonable assumptions but might be trumped by Beijing’s unwillingness to countenance further protests in Hong Kong that directly challenge Beijing’s authority.”

The Trump administration has already imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese imports and is planning to tax another $300 billion worth. American and Chinese officials have spoken by phone in recent weeks, but no date has been set for a Chinese delegation to visit Washington in September, as had been previously announced. And Mr. Trump has made clear he does not mind keeping the trade war going.

“Unless they’re going to make the right kind of a deal, I’m not ready to make a deal,” he told reporters this week.

Foreign policy officials have grappled in recent weeks with how to get Mr. Trump to take a more forceful stand on Hong Kong. Officials are wary of potentially harsh measures Mr. Xi might take against the protesters. They have become more concerned as videos have emerged of Chinese troops amassing across the border in Shenzhen.

Several top aides had urged Mr. Trump to make statements warning the Chinese leadership against using violence. Among them is John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, who views China as a formidable rival. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, said in June that he saw the United States and China as “strategic partners.”

American officials are also cognizant that they must avoid giving the Communist Party ammunition that it can use to reinforce its conspiratorial message that the United States and other Western powers are “black hands” behind the protests.

For weeks, as tensions rose in Hong Kong, Mr. Trump remained passive, suggesting that the uprising was an internal matter for China. That position was not unusual — the president has never made strong statements about protecting human rights in China or elsewhere — and his foreign policy is based mainly on long-held ideas about commerce and transactions. In his two and half years in power, Mr. Trump has been focused on cutting United States expenses abroad and getting more advantageous trade deals.

On Aug. 1, Mr. Trump employed the language used by Chinese Communist Party officials when he said that Hong Kong has had “riots for a long period of time.”

“Somebody said that at some point they’re going to want to stop that,” he added. “But that’s between Hong Kong and that’s between China, because Hong Kong is a part of China.”

Analysts of China said Mr. Xi and other party officials would read those words as a green light to take whatever measures they deemed necessary to suppress the protests.

The language from Mr. Trump was much less assertive than that used by members of Congress from both parties, the State Department and Mr. Bolton. In an interview with Voice of America on Aug. 14, Mr. Bolton said Americans “remember Tiananmen Square” and “the picture of the man standing in front of the line of tanks.” He added, “It would be a big mistake to create a new memory like that in Hong Kong.”

As a trade deal has appeared increasingly remote, Mr. Bolton and other China hawks in the administration have pushed Mr. Trump to move ahead on separate issues that advisers feared might jeopardize the trade talks. That includes the sale of 66 F-16 fighter jets to the self-governing island of Taiwan. The $8 billion deal is the largest or one of the largest arms sales from the United States to Taiwan.

Lawmakers had accused the Trump administration of delaying the sale to avoid upsetting the trade talks. But last week, Mr. Bolton, who advocates greater American support for Taiwan, prodded Mr. Trump to go ahead with the sale. Mr. Pompeo signed a memo approving the deal on Aug. 15, and the administration gave formal notification to Congress this Tuesday.

Yet the administration has failed to take action on what is by far the biggest human rights abuse by China in decades — the detention of one million or more Muslims. Mr. Bolton, Mr. Pompeo and other foreign policy aides have recommended to Mr. Trump that the United States impose sanctions on Chinese officials over the detentions.

Trade advisers such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have argued that the sanctions would endanger trade talks. In an interview in June, Mr. Mnuchin would not comment on the detentions of Muslims.

Human rights advocates say they hope the recent appointment of a Uighur-American scholar, Elnigar Iltebir, to the National Security Council will lead to action. Most of the detained Muslims are ethnic Uighurs.

Some analysts are skeptical of the new linkages among trade, human rights and Hong Kong that the administration is pushing, while others warn they could backfire.

“The U.S. government has to be careful not to do things that could be portrayed as inciting riots,” said Michael Pillsbury, a China expert at the Hudson Institute and an informal adviser to the president. “What the Trump assessment team in Beijing is trying to figure out is the grand strategy. Is Trump trying to overthrow the party, or is it just about trade?”

Hu Xijin, the editor in chief of China’s state-run Global Times newspaper, wrote on Twitter that Mr. Trump’s threats of backing away from a trade deal carried no weight in China.

“As for Washington’s threat to link trade talks with the situation in Hong Kong, what I heard on various occasions is scorn on this idea,” he said. “China is making arrangements on scenario of no deal.”

For his part, Mr. Trump is trying to keep his true intentions murky. Asked on Wednesday if he saw Hong Kong as leverage in trade talks with China, he demurred.

“I don’t view it as leverage or nonleverage,” he said. “I hope it works out in a humane way.”

He added, “And I think that President Xi has the ability to make sure that happens.”

[lascljp]

Mac hdmi adapter lightning

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I have iPhone 12 mini (instant regret to play any videos on it and watch while working out is a pain duh), and I have the Apple branded Lightning to digital AV adapter.

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So I thought I could just use my portable projector to project the Fitness+ program onto the large white wall and work out that way, almost perfect right? If not I may go for the new iPad or splurge on the Air.Has anyone tried to use Lighting to HDMI adapter to play new Fitness+ program? It did not work for me. If this adapter allows me to play games on my TV with very little lag then I’ll go for the phone. I’d like to get the iPhone 13 mini to future proof my purchase a little, since the new basic iPad is running the A13 chip and the iPhone 13 is running the A15 chip. Lag between it was worse than the Quicktime workaround. I tried it with my current device (iPhone 8 to Apple TV 4th gen) and was not very impressed. Someone referred to using Airplay through an Apple TV instead. I found a thread about the adapter’s performance but it’s about a year old. So of course I found out about the lightning to hdmi adapter. This led me to investigate ways of connecting my phone to a TV or large computer monitor to play games. There is a slight lag but still very playable and enjoyable.

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I’ve found an acceptable workaround of using Quicktime’s movie recording feature to project to my newer work -issued Mac (don’t tell anyone).

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Playing these types of games with a PS4 controller has been an awesome experience. I don’t have a newer console or PC/Mac because my iPhone 8 has done well to replace both for me at this time as far as gaming. I also have Pascal’s Wager on the back burner, which I’ve gotten pretty far into, almost completing the game. I’ll be honest in that I am heavy into Genshin Impact right now. Thinking about either getting the new basic iPad or shelling out the money for an iPhone 13 mini. TL DR: Will the adapter work with iPhone 13 mini for iOS gaming with a PS4 controller?Īpologize for the below long winded explanation, but I wanted to explain my exact situation in case anyone else is in the same or similar predicament. *iOS Gaming is not affiliated with any of these websites, nor do we receive any form of compensation from them. The Offline iOS Games Spreadsheet - Made by redditors and for anyone to edit.If a post such as this does not show pinned at the top of the subreddit, you cannot post. All posts will be checked by the mods, and excessive self promotion will lead to temporary bans and post removals. Self promotion can only be done on a Saturday.

#Mac hdmi adapter lightning code#

See our guidelines for promo code distribution. You must have at the start of your post, otherwise it will be removed. Please message the moderators to request your submission to be approved if it has been removed.Īll general rules for posting ( above) apply to developers.ĭevelopers or bloggers should always identify themselves as such when mentioning their apps or websites in posts or comments. iOS Gaming is for news, discussion, recommendations or questions.ĭon't see your post? Check the flair or your messages for a reason or Message the Moderators. This includes appsto.re links.ĭon't use referral/affiliate URLs in posts or comments.ĭon't just post a game without adding context to your title. Developers can link directly to their app and add additional details in the Comments.ĭon't use link shortening in posts or comments. Apple AppStore or developer site )ĭon't link to YouTube in your post.

#Mac hdmi adapter lightning manual#

To deter spam, submissions from accounts newer than two months and / or a combined karma count of 250 or less will be automatically removed and require manual approval from the moderators.Īlways link directly to the game, using the correct format found in our rules. Self-promotion, non-disclosure of affiliation, or acting as a shill, is discouraged in posts and comments and can result in a ban from this subreddit depending on account behavior. Posts and comments encouraging emulation are allowed. Read more about Behavior and Reddit's rules of reddiquette. No religious or political comments or posts. No rude, offensive, harassing or inflammatory comments. READ THE RULES BEFORE POSTING Guidelinesīe civil. Read our Wiki for details on posting, moderation, suggestions to developers and more. IOS Gaming News, Discussion and Recommendations.

[distributionhunter556]

Mac Free Lipstick Recycle

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Apr 23, 2019 The Back-to-M.A.C. Program accepts empty makeup packaging in exchange for free M.A.C. Lipstick, Lipglass, or eye shadow. Bring in six empty M.A.C. Products in their primary containers and the.

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For National Lipstick Day — a gimmicky holiday that actually brings something to the table, a.k.a sales — MAC is offering a free (no typo: free) full-sized lipstick with any $30 online purchase. Customers have the choice of three best-selling shades: Marrakesh (a matte orange-brown), Lady Danger (a matte coral-red), and Dubonnet (a creamy deep claret). But you’ll want to act fast: This offer will start as of today, July 25, and run through National Lipstick Day on July 29.

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[nummero123]

Inbound Link Building Strategies to Help Your Site Rank Higher

Building high-quality inbound links to your website are undeniably difficult.

While many website owners resort to spamming blog comment areas in order to obtain backlinks,

this is not essential nor useful for your SEO efforts.

Although there is a lot of discourse about building inbound connections, the specifics of how to do so are rarely covered.

Fortunately, Link Building Strategies aren't as difficult to deploy as many people claim. 

Consider it like social media: if you have amazing material and get it in front of the appropriate people, they will share it.

With that in mind, we'll get you started with tried-and-true methods for generating respectable income.

What is link building?

Link building is the practice of increasing the number and quality of inbound links to your website to increase referral traffic, 

domain authority and search engine results.

What are backlinks?

Backlinks, also known as inbound links and incoming links, 

are a type of off-page SEO in which you obtain links from other websites that bring readers to your own.

The individual who receives the link refers to a link as a backlink.

Backlinks differ from outbound links (links from your website to another website)

and internal links (links from your website to another website)

(links from one page on your website to another).

The appropriate backlinks can help your website in two ways:

They can bring visitors to your website. If someone places a backlink to your website on their website or blog, their visitors may click on it, and you will benefit from that referral traffic.

They can assist you in ranking better in search results. Backlinks indicate to search engines that your website is an authority on a particular subject; hence, the more backlinks you receive from high-quality, high-authority sites, the higher your website will rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).

An excellent inbound link originates from a reputable website 

and employs natural anchor text. The text copy that hyperlinked is known as anchor text. 

For instance, if I link to our blog post about backlink methods, the anchor text will be backlink strategies.

Natural anchor text implies that you are not simply hyperlinking keywords left and right.

Because Google recognizes link context, more generic "learn more" and "click here" 

anchor language can be just as beneficial as keyword-optimized anchor text.

Link Building Strategies

1. Maintain a steady blog with great content.

One of the most tried and tested methods for organically generating inbound links

Is to consistently create quality blog content that people naturally want to connect to.

You should only publish content that directly linked to your sector. 

And that will benefit your reader.

They will feel driven to communicate it this way.

They may even include a link to it on their website if they have one.

2. Link to other blogs on your blog.

A blog intended to use as a social tool.

The more you link to others, especially in a consistent, opportunity-driven manner, 

the more likely it is that one of those bloggers will return the favour.

Furthermore, you can't cover everything on your blog. 

It makes sense to take advantage of the plethora of resources available on the internet to improve and reward your blog's visitors' experience.

3. Write guest blog posts.

Create an excellent blog post and distribute it to blogs that would be a good fit for it.

If they accept, they should be willing to provide you with an inbound link in the post.

Guest blogging is an excellent strategy to promote your knowledge while also earning high-quality white-hat links.

Don't know who to address your letter to?

Most news organizations allow anyone to submit original stories on issues of interest to their readers.

You should get started.

However, with publications that are directly related to your area.

If you are a branding agency, you should contact branding publications.

4. Curate and publish helpful resource lists.

Resource lists are excellent link bait as well as useful information for your viewers. 

If you produce a comprehensive resource list, 

Other writers will be able to easily link to it in their blogs rather than rehashing and curating all of that stuff themselves.

Here's an example of a list of resources we prepared for newbie SEOs to give you an idea of what one would look like.

5. Do expert roundups to build relationships.

Expert roundups can be a powerful tool for connecting with influencers.

While these roundups may not result in a large number of inbound links or leads right away.

Developing relationships with influencers can help you obtain reliable backlinks from authoritative sources in the future.

After they contribute to your roundup, you can contact them later to inquire about a guest post possibility or something else, 

While also thanking them for their contribution to the prior expert roundup.

6. Write newsjack posts.

When you use the popularity of a news story to boost your sales and marketing success, this is known as newsjacking.

Because of the "freshness" component of Google's algorithm.

If you're the first blogger to remark on a major event, you'll jump to the top of the SERPs.

And others will link to your content in their versions of the story.

7. Create case studies about your most impressive clients.

You can be sure that if you make your clients appear good in case studies about their business, they'll connect to your site. 

But you must make them good. This entails selecting organizations.

That have achieved the best results, are enthusiastic, and are well-versed in your product or service.

It also entails asking the correct questions and presenting the case study in an appealing, thorough manner.

8. Volunteer to be the subject of a case study.

Why not take advantage of the case study link affection on the other side?

Companies are constantly on the lookout for consumers ready to be the topic of a case study.

Volunteer for one of your key vendors in exchange for a backlink from the case study after it's released.

9. Administer surveys.

If you undertake research, commit to sharing the results with others.

If you collect and crunch the data and then give some high authority sites access to the results.

You can guarantee they'll perform some promotion and inbound linking for you to ensure you have a large sample size.

10. Write book reviews.

If you write a thorough evaluation of another author's stuff, there's a strong possibility they'll (and others) link to it.

11. Conduct free webinars, and post archived copies online.

Your attendees will undoubtedly share it if it is informative. 

Turning your PowerPoint presentation slides into a SlideShare presentation and then embedding.

That presentation into a blog post is one simple way to accomplish this. 

You may also include it on the webinar's landing page so that anyone wishing to join up for an 

an already completed webinar can view the presentation.

Partner with another organization, brand, or influence

for the webinar to increase your chances of getting backlinks to these archived webinar pages. 

Not only will two well-aligned brands make for a great presentation.

But it will also broaden the audience — long after the webinar has ended.

12. Create free tools.

Remember when I said you should curate and publish resource lists for your blog? 

What do you suppose people put on those resource lists and where do they connect to? 

One of the most important is the availability of free tools. 

You may get on the other side of those resource lists by offering free tools that your target clients will find extremely useful.

13. Create shareable templates.

Templates, like free tools, are something that others will find valuable enough to link to.

Consider what kinds of templates might make people's jobs easier before creating one.

A designer, for example, could establish a library of downloadable business card templates that others may go to repeatedly. 

Bookmarkable content is frequently the type of material that receives a large number of inbound links.

14. Create compelling infographics.

People adore disseminating infographics.

 People will link back to you as the source if you develop an original infographic. 

You may also share your design with the sources you quoted and make the embed code for your infographic easily accessible to boost the likelihood of an incoming link.

You're not a designer?

 With designs like these free infographic templates, anyone can create professional-looking, 

high-quality infographics rapidly.

 Before developing an infographic, 

you should think of a topic that can be depicted and is relevant to your market.

15. Create other forms of visual content.

Cartoons, content visualizations, charts and graphs, and other visual content marketing tools

Are vital aspects of a visual content marketing strategy and a wonderful way to gain inbound connections. 

Because they cost time and money to create,

Others are likely to forego the hassle of developing their visual content and instead link to yours.

16. Create SlideShare presentations.

Cut up one of your infographics or adapt one from a previous speaking engagement. 

You can post these on your blog, in the resource part of your website, or even on a SlideShare account for more links.

Keep in mind that the most compelling presentations are the most shared. 

That entails amazing content as well as outstanding design.

17. Do something funny.

Things that are amusing spread like wildfire. 

Consider the amusing internal jokes in your sector and capitalize on them with some linkable humorous material. 

You can make a meme, a short video, or a tweet that summarises the joke. 

Just make sure you understand your audience and how they're likely to react so that nothing comes across as offensive.

18. Write press releases about interesting company news.

By transforming your PR strategy into an inbound one, you open up previously untapped prospects and carve out a niche for your brand.

While also gaining important mindshare with your target audiences.

Once you've written a superb press release,

Post it on your website and then send it to one of the major newswires to gain more visibility.

19. Send out a joint press release when your news involves another company.

This can help you reach thousands of other connected sites that may not have linked to your site in a press release about only your firm. 

This will allow you to reach a bigger number of individuals and, as a result, gain more backlinks.

20. Do some outreach when you have big news or a great piece of content.

Getting press attention and being featured in industry journals can help you establish your brand. 

Expand your visible expertise, boost your credibility, and, of course, gain backlinks from authoritative sites.

To begin, build a dedicated page on the story on your website to which they can link. 

Then, contact a few journalists and/or media that you believe would be interested in your story. 

Make sure your request is contextual,

That you obey their guidelines, that you compose an engaging subject line in your pitch email, 

And that you are helpful rather than boastful.

21. Set up press request alerts and look for opportunities to send quotes.

Press request alerts are requests for information sources from journalists.

These journalists are continuously on the lookout for quotes from specific people to include in their articles,

And they use a variety of channels to convey requests and find those quotes.

22. Write and pitch op-ed articles.

If you have an intriguing point of view to share and can communicate it clearly and effectively in an op-ed piece.

you may be able to reach a large number of people, gain notoriety for yourself and your organization. And obtain authoritative backlinks to your website. 

The most effective op-ed pieces, in my opinion, make a single point.

Embrace the author's perspective, and then provide specific recommendations.

After you've written the piece, seek online editions of industry newspapers and magazines for a very desirable inbound link.

Conclusion

You're well on your way to developing high-quality backlinks the white-hat approach with the suggestions and methods I've offered. 

As more links point to your site, you will rise in the SERPs, increasing organic traffic and drawing more prospective leads and consumers.

You can contact Nummero, the best web design company in Bangalore.

[oumakokichi]

I adored what you had to say on how some adjustments in meaning really change how Kokichi comes across in the English version of V3. REALLY important question: Kokichi hates murder. So what was his motivation for the events of the chapter four trial? What are the circumstances of his decisions? He clearly established himself as someone who walks the line, but is there a difference for him between having a line and killing, going against one of his core values? Was he testing the game? What's up?

So many Chapter 4 questions, so little time. Thankfully, it’sone of my favorite chapters in any DR game so I don’t mind talking about it atall!

I hope it’s okay if I answer all of these in one big post! Iget a lot of questions about Chapter 4 specifically (as you can see) and Ithought it’d be best if I try to address all the points in common that thesequestions have. I’ll try to hit the main points, which are: “Why did Ouma gettwo people killed if he’s morally against murder?”, “Why didn’t Ouma leteveryone vote wrong in the trial and get them all killed to put them out oftheir misery?”, and “Was Ouma’s reaction just before Gonta’s execution genuine or not?”

I’ve written quite a few pieces of meta with regards toChapter 4 in the past, the most recent of which might help clear up the firstof these points (and a little bit of the second)! The post is here, if anyone’scurious.

In any case, I’ll try to make this my big “what went down inChapter 4” post, but I will be discussing spoilers for Chapters 5 and 6 aswell, so anyone who hasn’t reached the second half of the game should only readif they’re okay with that.

So, to begin… In order to better understand why Ouma gotboth Gonta and Miu killed, it’s necessary to look at everything that was goingon behind the scenes, without Saihara (or the player) being aware of it at thetime. More specifically, it’s important to realize that Ouma and Miu had a verytentative alliance in place (likely since either Chapter 2 or 3 and onward),and that Ouma was commissioning her to create various inventions for him.

He tells Saihara and the others about this alliance betweenthe two of them in Chapter 5, when he brings the hammers and the bombs in orderto let everyone clear the Despair Death Road mini-game. The news is receivedwith a great deal of suspicion by everyone—understandably, since this is rightafter Chapter 4 and they all know for a fact that Ouma got both Gonta and Miukilled as a result of his actions.

But it’s very clear that he was telling the truth abouttheir tentative cooperation. The hammers and bombs were clearly made by Miu (thebombs even have the same mouse mascot that’s on her uniform), as there’s no oneelse who could’ve made them. Later in Chapter 6, we find the design for thebug-vac in Ouma’s room, while the actual invention itself is in Miu’s lab,proving again that they were, in fact, working together. Despite how unlikelyit seemed, and despite the fact that they both clearly disliked one another fortheir personalities, the two of them did manage to cooperate for a time, andpretty much everything Ouma asked her to make was specifically for the sake oftrying to end the killing game.

However, Chapter 4 is where that temporary cooperation ranits course. Ouma provides a very vague, general explanation of what happened inthe same scene in Chapter 5, but as he’s being intentionally vague and as noone in the group really believes him, it’s easy to miss the point of what he’ssaying. Basically, what happened is this: after the whole group used theflashback light in Chapter 4 and realized how horrible the state of the outsideworld was after the meteorites hit, Miu became scared. She’s one of thecharacters whose reaction to that flashback light is the most obviously drastic, and she even claimsthat they must all be in “hell” if the world is really like that.

In the flashback between the two of them, we can see that Oumawanted to use the inventions he commissioned from her in order to take onMonokuma and the remaining two Exisals directly—basically, he wanted to trysomething very similar to what Momota was going to do in Chapter 5, butbetter-equipped. But Miu refused to participate in the fight or to inventanything new for him any longer after finishing the hammers and bombs. Afterseeing the rest of their classmates betray and kill one another repeatedly, shewas deeply paranoid and believed that someone in the group was bound tobackstab them, and that the plan would never work.

What’s more, in addition to refusing to go along with Ouma’splan or trust and cooperate with anyone else in the group, she also begantalking very emphatically about wanting to get out of the school. She claimedshe could be making the world a better place with her inventions, and therefore felt she’d be better off out there rather than trapped in the school witheveryone else. This desperation to get outside is what led her to make up hermind to try and attempt murder—as it has done with several other charactersthroughout the course of the DR series, including but not limited to Maizono,Celes, and Teruteru. It’s a trap of the killing game itself, and one of thereasons the motive videos are some of the simplest yet most effective motivesto kill in both dr1 and ndrv3.

The most important thing to note is that Ouma, seeing herreactions and desperation to get outside the school, knew she had made up her mind to try and kill someone pretty muchfrom the moment it happened. In the flashback scene itself, we can see him goextremely blank-faced as he listens to her, sprites which are usually reservedfor when he’s revising his opinion or rethinking his options. When she had himhelp move the armchairs to her lab and asked him to meet her within the VRworld to talk in private, he then put the pieces together and knew she wanted to try and kill him specifically.

As I discussed in my other post that I linked to, thebiggest problem wasn’t that she was trying to kill him within the VR world, butthat she had already made up her mind to commit murder in the first place. Inthe DR franchise, the decision to commit murder isn’t simply about taking onelife—it’s about being willing to forfeit everyone’s lives in the class trial inexchange for “graduating.” And this was clearly, from Ouma’s perspective, theabsolute worst-case scenario. Not only would he die regardless, but everyoneelse stood a good chance of dying too. If Miu’s plan worked, then it wouldresult in the deaths of 8 people (Ouma, Saihara, Maki, Himiko, Momota, Gonta, Kiibo,and Tsumugi), not just Ouma himself.

Just as Miu was too paranoid to trust anyone else in thegroup and believed that someone was definitely bound to betray them, Ouma wasalso incredibly paranoid. His paranoia shows through pretty early on in thegame; if Momota is the character that best symbolizes blind faith and belief ineveryone regardless of what the facts say, then Ouma is the character whorepresents trusting no one, doubting absolutelyeveryone, suspecting that everything is a lie until proven otherwise.

Seeing Miu refuse to cooperate any longer and knowing thatshe had already made up her mind to commit murder once, he felt there was noguarantee that she wouldn’t try it again, even if he stopped her the firsttime. The moment she made up her mind to kill was the moment he made up hismind that he couldn’t trust her, and decided she was a threat to the entiregroup’s safety that needed to be eliminated—regardless of his personal moralsagainst killing.

The problem, however, was how to eliminate her without: 1.)dying himself, and 2.) playing right into the same trap of the killing game and gettingeveryone else killed. He could certainly have tried to kill her himself—butthat would’ve meant he would be a culprit instead, not her. In which case, hecould only live by tricking everyone else in the class trial and getting themall executed instead. Again, this was the absolute worst-case scenario. He didn’twant to die either, in part because he was still searching for the ringleaderand trying to end the killing game, but also… well, simply because he didn’twant to die. Self-preservation and the fear of death is yet another prettyconstant motif with different DR characters.

As a result, he decided the most “practical” solution was touse a sacrificial pawn of sorts to eliminate Miu for him, who he could thensubtly lead the rest of the group to in the trial. This way, the total numberof deaths would be limited to two people, rather than everyone else dying andonly one culprit surviving. It was a very, veryruthless, cold way of looking at things through a lens of game theory—empatheticand morally opposed to killing though he was, one of the most contradictorythings about Ouma is that he was still very much willing to do very morallygrey things in order to achieve his goals. This walking contradiction ofsomeone who was definitely a pacifist, but who would strike back and strikehard if threatened, is something that’s very central to his character.

Chapter 4 is essentially one big mess of rampant paranoia. It’sthe chapter that best represents being stuck between a rock and a hard place, andthat’s one of the reasons I love it so much from a writing perspective. Miucouldn’t trust anyone; she didn’t want to die, so she made up her mind to killinstead. Ouma couldn’t trust anyone; he didn’t want to die either, so he madeup his mind to kill Miu and eliminate her as a threat so that she didn’t getthe rest of the group killed. It all comes back to paranoia, doubt, andsuspicion, which are some of ndrv3’s most important themes.

On to the second point: why didn’t he let everyone voteincorrectly and get them all killed in order to “put them out of their misery,”since he said that’s what he and Gonta were trying to do? The simplest answerto this is that it was a lie. More specifically, it was a lie for Gonta’s sake.

This, of course, justifies nothing about what Ouma actuallydid. He knew from start to finish that he was manipulating Gonta into takingthe fall for him, just as he knew that his actions were inexcusable (the toneof the line he has in the trial where he says “You’re right… I really am doingsomething horrible to Gonta… I’m sorry,” was yet another piece of dialoguewhere the general mood and feeling was made much less serious in the localization).However, it’s a fact that he lied about working in order to “put everyone outof their misery” in order to try and keep the rest of the group from blamingGonta, and in order to try and let Gonta himself feel like there was a greaterpurpose to him killing Miu.

After watching the flashback light that Monokuma set withinthe VR world, Gonta discovered the “truth of the outside world” just as Oumadid at the beginning of Chapter 4. He realized that the outside world was truly“hell,” and that the inside of the school was also a “hell” where they wereforced into the killing game��and Ouma led him to the conclusion that if theoutside and the inside were both hell, then the easiest solution was to “endeveryone’s suffering” by killing them so that they wouldn’t have to keepsuffering in the killing game and they wouldn’t have to know the painful truthof the outside world.

But the real truth is somewhat more complicated. Ouma clearlysuspected much, much earlier than Chapters 4 and 5 that the entire killing gamewas a show. He has tons of lines even in Chapters 2 and 3 where he talks abouthow “it’s almost like a show,” “if people were watching this I bet they’d allbe having so much fun they just couldn’t help themselves,” etc. Given the rulesof the killing game itself and Monokuma’s drive to make it “more exciting” and “moreinteresting,” he clearly knew, despite witnessing the “truth of the outsideworld,” that they couldn’t actually be the last 16 survivors of humanity:because clearly, there had to be an audience.

However, bringing this up at the end of the Chapter 4 trialwould only have made things more painful for Gonta, not less. Gonta was alreadyextremely horrified and traumatized by the idea that he would ever agree tohurt another person, much less kill them—the AI Gonta on the laptop thatMonokuma provides was traumatized even moreso by the actual memories of the “truthof the outside world.” Learning that the entire killing game was just a form ofsick and twisted entertainment and that his and Miu’s deaths amounted to littlemore than a sacrifice (and another part of that entertainment) in the grandscheme of things would’ve been crushing.

It’s clear to see that Ouma was lying about trying to geteveryone to vote incorrectly, because throughout the entirety of the Chapter 4trial he does nothing but try and push them all to the right answer, not the wrong one. He takes charge in the trial almost from the moment it starts, providing vital clues and hints, offering up information that does nothing but put him at a disadvantage, all because he’s clearly trying to get the group to realize on their own that only Gonta could’ve been the culprit.

The reason he lies about not goingto the rooftop to meet with Miu is because he was trying to lead the wholegroup into realizing on their own that the only person who could’ve had anyopportunity to kill Miu was Gonta. Had they taken his lie about the rooftop atface value, it’s still very likely that it would’ve taken them ages to actuallypoint the finger at Gonta or to realize that he was the only one who could’vedone it, and there’s no doubt that they all would’ve still been clueless as towhy—but it would’ve been a much less painful and agonizing process.

During the trial, though, Saihara calls him out on his lieabout the rooftop by lying in return and saying he went looking for him in the parlor, which pisses Ouma offimmensely. Not only does the entire group start telling him to stop lying, butthey only “know” he was lying in the first place because Saihara lied in turn.Fed up and completely through with the entire group rejecting lies as “universallybad” and demanding the truth as if it were “universally good,” Ouma just comesright out and tells them that Gonta is the culprit.

Again, had he actually been trying to get the whole groupkilled he would never have handed them the answer directly. It would’ve been athousand times easier to let them just vote for him as the culprit, since theyall thought he was the most suspicious one anyway. With a unanimous vote forhimself, everyone would’ve been executed for the wrong verdict, and only Gontawould’ve survived as a successful culprit, which was a task the AI Gontamentions he was willing to bear if it meant that everyone else didn’t have tosuffer through the killing game or the “truth of the outside world” anymore.

But Ouma also had another reason for just handing them theanswer the way that he does in the Chapter 4 trial—and that’s that he wanted toforce them all to acknowledge that the truth they all wanted from him wasextremely, undeniably painful. Lies, as he says in his Chapter 4 speech, offer “endlesspossibilities” and can be used to comfort and console others. The truth, bycontrast, is singular, and often very harsh. No matter how much you don’t wantto believe it, the truth won’t change. And that’s a lesson he pretty muchforces the entire group to learn by dragging them all by the nose for thesecond half of the Chapter 4 trial, because he got pissed off, petty, andimpatient all at once.

And now, as for the final point, about whether his reactionsjust before Gonta’s execution were genuine or not… This is perhaps thetrickiest point to discuss, because it truly is one of those moments that’s themost subjective to the player’s interpretation. No matter how much evidence isshown that Ouma hated killing and murder, no matter how much dialogue indicatesthat he really, honestly hated the killing game and his own actions within it,it’s still a scene where a lot depends on how you read into it. And of course,no matter how much he resented himself and no matter whether he had goodintentions or not, it still doesn’t excuse the fact that he knowingly led twopeople to their deaths.

I will say though that I feel it’s one of the scenes thatbest benefits from a second playthrough. On a first playthrough, Ouma simplyseems all-around despicable. The knee-jerk reaction is to simply assume that hewas lying about being sad and he was lying about wanting to be executedalongside Gonta, and that he’s just an awful and unsympathetic piece of shitwho really does want to make other people suffer. But knowing what we know abouthis character from the reveals in Chapters 5 and 6 though makes the whole scene read… quitedifferently.

In my own personal opinion, yes, I think he was beinggenuine. It still excuses nothing about his actions (and it’s very clear thatthe game itself doesn’t try to excuse him, considering he gets called out bypretty much the entire cast), but it does add insight and meaning to hisactions. One of the most interesting things about Ouma, to me at least, is thatdespite how hard he tries to play the role of a chessmaster and a cold,calculating strategist, his empathy is something that’s always there, rightunder the surface. It shows through in these little scenes and glimpses—and he goes ahead and lets it slip every now and then, because he knows the other characters (andthe players) will just think he’s lying anyway.

Something I feel is worth mentioning is that if Ouma hadreally, truly just wanted to backstab Gonta, belittle him, or see him suffer atthe end, he would’ve pulled out all the stops with his “I’m the big, evilringleader” routine before Gontadied, not after. The one thing that would’ve hurt Gonta the most and rubbedsalt in the wound would’ve been to mock him and reveal how he “double-crossedhim” and was “lying the entire time.”

Instead, he very clearly takes all the blame on himself inthe post-trial leading up to Gonta’s execution. He makes it very clear that he was the one who led Gonta to theflashback light and asked him to kill Miu, and even tells the whole grouppoint-blank not to blame Gonta or hate him. It makes no sense to say that hewas lying, in my opinion. If he’d been lying, he would’ve tried to win over more sympathy, not less. It would’vebeen very easy for him to play the part of a victim or try and win the group over to his side—but instead he makes it explicitly clear that the wholething was his fault, not Gonta’s.

Not only that, but he even begs to be executed alongsideGonta. There is literally no benefit to him doing this whatsoever, since he was volunteering his own life there. Looking atit from the standpoint of a lie or an act just doesn’t add up. He certainlywasn’t doing it for sympathy; if so, he wouldn’t have turned around and madehimself out to be the biggest asshole of the century five seconds later. Theonly way it makes any sense at all is under the assumption that he was tellingthe truth: that he absolutely hated what he did to Gonta and Miu, that he hatedbreaking such an important moral code and staining his hands, and that he wastruly tempted to just give up and die because the whole situation was soall-around horrible.

I think it’s worth noting that in Chapter 5 he does, infact, have a perfect opportunity to do the same exact thing to Momota and Makithat he did to Miu and Gonta already. It would’ve been perfectly easy for himto drink the antidote instead of Momota, let Momota die of his wounds, and tohide in an Exisal and attend the trial himself. That way, Maki would’ve beenexecuted as the culprit (and he wouldn’t have had to worry about her trying tocome and kill him again), and he would’ve been free to continue trying toexpose the ringleader and stop the killing game himself. Had he thrown theirlives under the bus, it would’ve been perfectly easy for him to have survivedpast Chapter 5.

But he didn’t, and I believe that speaks volumes about thetoll that Chapter 4 took on him. No matter how he tried to rationalize it andjustify it to himself, he still clearly felt that murder was murder and that nothingcould really excuse his actions in getting Miu and Gonta killed. In trying toact like the ringleader, think like them, and expose them, he felt in the endthat he had become no better than them. And he wasn’t willing to sacrificeanyone else’s lives after that, which is why he went willingly to his own deathinstead, leaving a trail of clues behind all over the school in the hopes thatSaihara and the others could bring an end to the killing game where he couldn’t.

I think I managed to hit all the points, and this has gottenextremely long by now, so I’ll stop, but I hope I was able to answer everyone’squestions! Chapter 4 is still the biggest point of controversy in the game, Ithink—I’ve gotten even more questions about it than about Chapter 5 by thispoint. It’s understandable too, since almost everything Ouma does and says is ahuge contradictory mess. But it’s definitely possible to look back at hisactions and to understand them in a new light after finishing the game for thefirst time.

I hope I was able to clear up a lot of the confusionregarding this chapter! It’s a long post, but if people want to reblog it andspread it around just to help clear up misinformation or misunderstandings,that would be great. Thank you all for asking and stopping by!

[canaryatlaw]

today was....mixed. it had some good parts and some not so great parts, and I’m leaning towards the not so great parts right now because I’m stressed of course and like....I really think I’m going to flunk the bar. like not being dramatic, I really think it’s going to happen. I wasn’t diligent enough in studying and I consistenly get a large percentage of the practice questions wrong and I can never recall the stuff even when I did study it and like....I’m so fucking stressed out about all of it and like, it’s the worst. but, let’s start with the beginning of the day. My alarm was set for 8:45, the plan was to get up and buy tickets for New York Comic Con when they went online at 9 am, then after that I would take a shower and get ready, then uber to church because I’m annoyed with my current public transportation options. well, that’s not exactly what happened. I did wake up at 8:45 and brushed my teeth, and was sitting at my laptop waiting for it to hit 9 am, and legit as soon as the clock turned to 9:00 am I clicked the link, and was set to a site telling me I’m in line and not to refresh the page, it will update when it was my turn. so I waited. I mean, I clicked it right away, how many people could actually be in front of me? WELL. turns out it was a lot. I legit sat there staring at the page waiting for it to update for over a half hour, when I legit clicked it as soon as it went on sale....and then finally at like 9:35 it updated and I was able to click through quickly and enter my information (you’re on a 15 minute clock to fill it all out) and was able to get tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as we planned. I had been talking to Jess while we were waiting since we’re going together, and she hadn’t gotten through yet and was kinda freaking out, so I did my best to comfort her until she got through like 5 minutes later. Well, at this point it was too late to make it to church on time, so fuck that, Jess was still freaking out a bit so I suggested we go get breakfast (I mean I first suggested that we go get ice cream but none of the places opened till 11, so then I suggested breakfast) at this little place that’s pretty much exactly at the halfway point between our apartments that does breakfast and we’ve never actually eaten there, so I got dressed and headed over there to meet up with her. It was actually not terribly hot out at that time of the day (it got horridly hot afterwards of course) so we sat outside and ate, I got french toast because I’m predictable and Jess got a veggie omelete because she’s also predictable, in food choices at least, and we talked about plans for upcoming cons and trying to figure things out, which is of course an ongoing conversation because there’s always another one coming, and of course she’s going to SDCC in like four days (which I am just absolutely so happy for her about and definitely not jealous at all) so we were talking about outfits and cosplays and figuring out the phone conundrum so she can actually have a working gps while running around an unknown city. So we had a good breakfast then parted ways, I was hot at that point and I had a bunch of bath bombs and bubble bars from Lush that I never actually used because I never really wanted to take a bath at night or had the time in the morning, but I had some time today and I figured it would be a good opportunity to use one, so I drew a fairly cool bath because it was so fucking hot and used a pink bubble bar, which of course turned the water pink. So I continued to take a bath, which included washing my hair, and since I used my color depositing conditioner on it yesterday it always washes out as like neon pink, and when that got combined with the already pink bath it became like, the most intensely pink bath that ever existed and I was amused lol. The live podcast episode I was on a few weeks ago was released today so I got to listen to myself on that, which was an odd experience, but I definitely enjoyed hearing myself rant about AvaLance and Sara Lance and why she’s my favorite character on all of tv, and then of course me trashing Elongated Man (I think the phrase I used was “I didn’t order this) and knock off Batman Green Arrow and how I now have to qualify my statements that GA is my favorite superhero with “NOT the Arrow version.” So that was fun to listen to. But I finished that and then went to studying, trying to knock out the lecture I had for today, it was like an hour and 47 minutes so not so bad. basically I’m going to try to do one lecture a day for the Illinois essay subjects that I missed by switching over late, so I’ll at least have something to go off of if I get a question based on it, because right now I don’t know jack shit about them, like one of them is commercial paper, what the hell does that mean??? so I obviously need to get that done. So I got through the lecture and then started working on the other review exercises when I got a message from Jess asking if I wanted to get ice cream because it was HOT and I’m weak and can never say no to ice cream, so I headed out to meet with her and then walk to the ice cream place. It wasn’t too crowded when we got there, but after we had ordered and paid there was a huge influx of people, like a group with about twenty children with them, so it looks like we hit it at just the right time. I tried their lemon meringue ice cream that I’ve considered for a bit now and I honestly wasn’t crazy about it, but oh well, it was still good because it was ice cream. So we sat at a table and ate our ice cream and talked for a bit before heading home because it was getting super crowded and we didn’t want to take up a table when we had finished eating. So, back to studying. I’m really bad at like, reviewing my notes to study because I’m so impatient, but it also makes me anxious because I know I don’t have any of this shit memorized and I’m gonna just be so fucked over. But yeah, did that and finished up the assignments for the day. I was considering doing another lecture since I had some extra time and I had thought I checked the fed income tax video and it was only like 30 minutes, but I must’ve checked the wrong thing because when I brought it up it was a full 4 hours and it was already 6 pm after a solid 8 hours of studying and like.....that’s not happening. But I kept the tab open to do some extra work when I got a chance. I had a few random things I had to do, my dad wanted me to review some blog posts one of the girls who works in his office had written because he wanted me to clean them up a bit. They weren’t anything extraordinary, it showed a bit of lack of knowledge on some of the finer points of law, and there were a bunch of awkwardly phrased sentences, and instances when it was apparent she basically used a thesaurus to get a more complicated word, except the meaning was off and I had to change it back to the simpler word that actually conveyed the right meaning. Then I did an article draft for when the legends trailer comes out for the podcast website, then finally updated the company tumblr which was WAY overdue, it had been 3 weeks, which I’m pretty sure is the longest I’ve gone without updating it (of course it didn’t effect the posts because it’s on a 6 posts a day queue) but if I let the queue deplete too much I can lose the system I use to queue the posts (I would try to explain it but it’s absurdly complicated lol). And I decided to watch Heathers the movie since I had nothing better to do and I’m quickly becoming obsessed with the Heathers musical cast recording and have been listening to it all day, so I figured I should see the source material. It was an interesting perspective to see the musical based on the movie first and then see the movie. I thought they actually stuck pretty close to the plot as far as those things go, the musical lifted a LOT of lines directly from the movie but I think they made it work for them so I can’t really complain about that. I do like that the musical gives us the part where we see how Veronica got in with the Heathers to begin with, the Martha friendship was the only other really major change, which I was kinda meh about because she’s not that big of a character. So I liked the movie a lot, Winona Ryder is awesome and she was a great Veronica. But after that I watched like two episodes of Nailed It before switching over to 30 Rock and then eventually getting ready for bed. I’m like, majorly tired now and my eyes no longer want to be open, so I’m going to close this out here. Goodnight darlings. Have a lovely Monday.